The buildup has finished and I've started tapering for race day at the Lake Wanaka Half.
 Not to put too fine a point on it... |
You may or may not remember that I was originally planning to do the full distance event at Challenge Wanaka this time, but injury forced me to pull out and do the half-distance as there was no way I'd be able to recover and prepare well for a race of that magnitude.
In hindsight I should have entered for the half anyway as I was woefully underprepared for it last year and it'd be better to have done a really good 70.3 or two before attempting the full iron distance. Despite the lack of preparation year I'm still glad I did the race. Ignorance is bliss and I learned a lot of valuable lessons from the experience.
Now that the hard work is in the bank for this year, I've largely switched from spending lots of time training to spending lots of time on the final preparations.
The Bike
On Monday I prepared the bike as my new Xlab aero bottle arrived. I decided to get one of these after seeing an ad for the new Profile Designs bottle. I have one of the old wing-shaped Profile bottles and liked the look of the new one as it'll be better in crosswinds, but I came across Xlab at some point and decided that one would suit me better due to the bite-valve and ability to fold the straw down. I'm pretty sure my bloating issues on the run have been caused by swallowing too much air while drinking on the bike so I'm hoping this bottle will help to alleviate the issue by keeping the straw filled with liquid. I'm also more conscious of it so will be seeking to minimise the air (my body is weird - I very rarely burp).
While I had the bike out I put the race wheels on, which isn't much fun to do as the brakes are a pain in the arse to access so I can put the carbon-specific pads in. I also found that the Xlab bracket protrudes and prevents me from putting the bike upside down - glad I found that out before getting a puncture. It's easy to remove the bracket but is something to keep in mind.
And I have a note to bike manufacturers: mounting brakes behind the fork and behind the bottom bracket may save a few grams of drag but it's not worth it for all the fuss and bother that it causes. The back brake is a pain to get to with the chainring in the way, and while the front brake is accessible, the cable routing is nasty and I get the feeling that the cable negates half the aero benefit of putting the brake there.
Now that I've put my race wheels on I've taken the bike up and down the street a few times today because it's quite windy and I've not ridden these wheels in the wind yet (it was dead-still for the Ashburton race). Seems to be OK but I have a ride scheduled for tomorrow and I plan to take that bike to practice with the aero bottle. The forecast is for a bit of wind so it'll be nice if I can get used to it.
Cold Water
I've also been continuing with my cold water adaptation. I am still taking my showers in cold water, getting in before I turn the water on. The mixer isn't ideal though as "cold" is close to "off" so I can only get it so cold before the flow reduces which is fine until the hot water comes through. And the cold water is getting a bit warm as the season has progressed, but I still think it has been helping to teach my body that cold water isn't so bad after all.
I've had a couple of swims out at Pegasus and felt a lot better than before, although that lake has probably been warming up just as much as the tap water. Having said that, my swim last Saturday was probably the most comfortable open-water swim I've ever had.
We leave for Wanaka on the 14th and I plan to get into the lake there at least once a day to help with the acclimatisation. Not sure if I'll do the Swim The Lake event as it probably won't fit well with my training programme.
I Am The Checklist Master
I've also been finalising our accommodation for the return trip as I decided to come home over two days. I remember the trip home last year, I was pretty buggered so it'll be nice to stop over along the way. I was trying to decide between Twizel, Tekapo, Fairlie or Geraldine. In the end I booked a motel in Fairlie. Twizel makes for quite a long second day, Tekapo was largely booked out and Geraldine is a bit close to home. I've heard the pies at the bakery in Fairlie are legendary and I'll deserve one by then. Or maybe two...
I've also read the race manual. It's well written but it is still a bit easier to digest when you've done the race before. I'm pretty sure the draft zone is a metre longer now but it's so hard to avoid drafting when you're making your way through the pack. A good incentive to work on my swimming but that's been easier said than done!
One of the more important activities at the moment has been making checklists of what to bring and what to include in each transition bag, as well as an itinerary. I did this last year and it was a lifesaver. I had been a bit anxious before the race and would have definitely forgotten something otherwise. I just need to make sure I get everything right, then when I get there I just need to trust my plans and follow them.
The Helmet Issue
When I was getting ready for the Rolf Prima Half Ironman in November I noticed a small crack in the visor of my TT helmet.
At first I was worried it would fail the safety check, but they're pretty casual in that race and trust that you'll ensure your own gear is up to scratch. The visor is non-structural (it's removable and optional) so I rode with it anyway, but Challenge Wanaka does check your gear and I didn't want to risk them being strict about it.
I had wanted to replace the helmet anyway because it didn't fit as well as I'd liked, and I was glad to see that I still had a couple of weeks left on the warranty. So I sent it back and eventually got a full refund. Awesome, except for the timing.
I didn't help matters by trying to decide on what to get. I was planning to try a few on as I've found it difficult to get a good fit in the past.
In the end I got an email from Wiggle promoting their big New Year sale which included good discounts on helmets. I tried to work out whether I wanted the Lazer Tardiz or the Rudy Project Wingspan. Both are highly adjustable one-size-fits-all designs so I wouldn't have to worry about ordering the wrong size. I went through that last year with the Giro, ordering a small one but having to swap it for a large.
The Wingspan is more expensive but at the sale price it was only $20 more than the refund I had, and it's significantly lighter than the Lazer. The designer also made some good points about testing in cross winds, and its race pedigree speaks for itself. But with all my delaying it's going to be touch-and-go whether it arrives in time. Worst case I'll use my training helmet.
Unfortunately the new one has no visor so if it does arrive in time I may have to go shopping urgently for some suitable sunglasses if my roadie glasses don't fit. I might get some anyway for the run.
I also caved in and bought some wheel bags to help with travel. Which reminds me, I was going to ask my wife to make me some chain covers because it'll be a lot cheaper than buying bike bags.
The Sleep Monster
It's little secret that I'm not much of a morning person and getting up early isn't something I like to do often.
My plan for races is usually to gradually shift my alarm back by about 30 mins every couple of days and it seems to work fairly well as long as I can get to bed earlier and actually get to sleep.
This time around I've started the shifting a little earlier and it's going quite well so far. I remember last year the problem was filling in the early mornings while my wife slept in, but it's quite easy to grab a camera and just wander along the lake as the sun comes up.
Every time I do this I resolve to keep getting up early but after a good sleep in post-race that plan tends to go out the window.
Ups And Downs
Through all of the excitement and anticipation of going to Wanaka I am still getting bouts of anxiety. Am I prepared? Of course I am. What if the weather is nasty? What if I drown / crash / get ill or injured? I figure this kind of stuff is natural and I just need to take comfort from my preparation and the experience from last year.
On the subject of conditions I saw a few people post on the Challenge Wanaka Facebook page saying they want nice conditions... but I think the point of this race that it is difficult and the more you overcome the more proud you'll be of getting through it. Getting through the swim leg last year is one of my proudest achievements because it was so tough.
Having said that, I will not be happy if it rains. I don't like riding in the rain and adding hills makes it a little dangerous, more so if it's cold. But it won't stop me from racing.
