Reflecting on the season gone by

Good for:  A reminder to be thankful; lessons to be carried forward
Not so good for:  Facing the reality of a race that did not go to plan; accepting finishing the season with a DNF (Did Not Finish)

So it's been more than 2 weeks since my somewhat disastrous Ironman Barcelona.  Two weeks of pretending it never happened, two weeks of not unpacking my suitcases, two weeks of alternating between "you did the right thing" and "why didn't you just finish it?!?", two weeks of basically moping around.  :P

But I started running (a.k.a. jogging) on Monday.  I only managed 2k.  On Tuesday I managed 3k.  And this is 2 weeks after seeing my doctor and being told it will take 4-6 weeks before I can do anything again.  I guess I did the right thing after all.  Who knew that 2 weeks from this cast, I would be out running again??

And so today, I am ready to finally spend some time in reflection....

Reality is, 2014 was a very unconventional season.   I had decided (against my will) that I would do what was fun, and fit with my life, no more, no less.  If it didn't fit, well that was just too bad.  

So the year started with a new year ski trip to Austria (January):

This was followed closely by another ski trip, this time with kids (February):

Where I set an all time record for ski speed, or something.....

Next I realised my work and residence permit for Denmark was expiring, and I needed a new passport (March).  So I made a flying trip to Malaysia to renew my passport, and spend some time with my family (including building some Lego with my brother)....

When I got back to Denmark, I realised I only had around a month to prepare for my first "real" marathon without a 7 hour warm up (of an Ironman).  Three weeks of run training and I was "ready" for Paris Marathon (April).  Great experience to be shared with my parents and my better half, Jesper.  

 

I ran a 3:12 marathon which I was happy with, all things considered.  It was what I thought I could do, and did do.  So happy I might have knocked a few others on the head in my excitement to get to the finish line....

I then had the privilege of spending my Easter holidays with my parents in Denmark.  Guess the arm waving runs in the family?!

Next up, Jesper was doing a race, Grejsdalsløbet (May) in Vejle.  I was just along for the ride....

And then I thought it would be a good idea to do a mini training camp in Mallorca, all by myself...

...in preparation for Ironman 70.3 Aarhus (June), where I started the run in 9th place and ran my way into 2nd place.  Bonus:  Lucky enough to have stayed at a lovely campsite with a view....

I qualified for the World Championship for Ironman 70.3 but declined my slot, in favour of a different project this year, Ironman Copenhagen.

But before that, it was our summer holidays with the kids (July)!  We brought our shiny new caravan to Austria, where apparently they decided to build their mountains very steep.  My time trial bike looked pretty out of context here.  :)

Finally, it was IM Copenhagen (August).  It was a good race, where I took off 18 minutes from my previous PB at an Ironman distance.  A 10:33 Ironman is perfectly respectable, although I didn't realise this was my time as I ran down the finish chute with my flag:

I came 6th, 4-5 minutes away from qualifying for my dream race, Ironman World Championship in Hawaii.  Damn.

I then decided it would be a good idea to sign up for another Ironman, and signed up for Ironman Barcelona in the beginning of October.  So started my new campaign of #2IMsin6weeks.  However, I had an additional challenge to get through before then, Coast to Coast of the Pyrenees with Jesper and PP Cycling.

One week of cycling (September).  35 hours.  735km.  There were tears and there were smiles.  But it was all smiles at the end of the tour:

We had fantastic company, guides and beers:

But I as in dangerous territory, I had been sick, and was still sick by the end of the tour, and leading in to the race.

So starting Ironman Barcelona (October) was a bit of a bad idea, if I were honest with myself.  Maybe if I hadn't caught a cold, it could have been better.  Maybe if I hadn't cycled 35 hours in a week when my normal training hours was more like 10 hours per week, just 3 weeks before the race, it could have been better.  Maybe if I hadn't done another Ironman 6 weeks, it could have been better.  Who knows.

But fact was, I was there.  And so I decided to make the best out of it. Enjoy the experience.  And I did!  I had the opportunity to experience Oktoberfest in Calella!

And enjoy some fantastic seafood along the way!

But the race was not to be.  It started with a morning storm:

And you could argue that it was the storm before the storm.  :)

I pulled out of the race 23.5km into the run.  My Achilles hurt from step 1.  And it just got worse and worse.  My decision to pull out was based on the fact that I was not going to run a fast marathon, and did not fancy walking 20k back to the finish line (as it turned out I had run further than I thought).  I didn't need another finisher medal, and well, I didn't think the risk of being wheeled off in an ambulance was worth "just finishing" the race.

Tough decision.  But I guess it was the right one, knowing what I know today.  Turns out I had damaged my Achilles, probably from riding too hard in a bad position on the bike.  So I am happy that 2.5 weeks later, I am walking almost pain free and able to start running (jogging) again.

So I am grateful.  For being lucky enough to be able to do all of the above.  It's been an interesting year, if just a bit random.  Ten months of non stop action!!  Time to regroup and think about my plan for 2015.

PS:  Missy says "thank you" to her babysitters who look after her whilst I go gallivanting all over the world.  :)

US$3.78 million in the postbox

Good for:  Entertainment value and wishful thinking
Not so good for:  Presumably my bank account at a later stage

So, I collected this letter from my mailbox today:

Being an unbeliever of anything too good to be true, my first instinct was to Google it. And there you have it.  A letter that has been sent out again and again, for the last 4 years or so.  Same address, same name, same amount, same story.   Presumably hand signed too, just like mine.

Wow.  Why would anyone sit and look up new names and addresses, to send a letter to, years on end, unless there is a remote chance of success??  Turns out the story is, at some point, the sender will ask you for some money.  Duh.  What else could this be about....  Surely, surely, surely, people do not take letters like this seriously?  Please?!

I would be tempted to create a bogus email address and send this dude some abusive emails, except he knows where I live.  I blame the Danish (maybe Scandinavian since there were a lot of similar stories from Sweden) system of publishing names and addresses on the Internet.  :P

Cycling holiday across the Pyrenees

Good for:  Gaining some bike fitness
Not so good for:  Confidence (if I get my arse kicked by the guys)

So, before I decided to take on my latest challenge of 2-Ironmans-in-6-weeks, I had signed up for a cycle holiday across the Pyrenees.  Called Coast-to-Coast, with 800+km of cycling over 19,000+m of ascent from the East Coast of the Pyrenees (Perpignan) to the West Coast of the Pyrenees (Biarritz), I had my challenge set out for me.  But not an entirely new challenge, as I had done something similar across the Alps, starting from Switzerland and ending in Nice.  But I digress.....

Two weeks plus after Ironman Copenhagen and I can finally run again.  As in, run faster than the 6:20 min/km pace I was running a few days after the race.  I am back to my racing ways of 4:50 min/km of easy running, yay!  And next week we head off to France for a crazy week of cycling.

The hope?    Boost my cycle strength and do Ironman Barcelona in 10:15.  There.  I said it.  Another 17 minutes off my current PB set in Copenhagen 2 weeks ago, which was almost 20 minutes better than my previous PB from 2011.  Game on...

Racing an Ironman, or make that 2!

Good for:  Collecting a cool medal, looking forward to post race treats (see picture)
Not so good for:  Poor tired legs

So today marks 1-week-after Ironman Copenhagen.  I could post a picture of my medal but I've already done that.  I could post a picture of my swollen feet from last week but that would be boring.  So you get a picture of my dinner-with-my-biggest-fan from last night.  :)

Racing is great, but it is even better with the support of friends and family.  Many people follow me on Facebook, apps, in real life, whatever else they can find, whilst I run around for 10.5 hours completing my Ironman.  It is much appreciated, and this post goes out to all my supporters.  :)

For the record, we get to do it all over again in 5 weeks, on the 5th of October, where I will race Ironman Barcelona, just for fun.  :P

Magic Cream from China - Keep Dry and Shady

Good for:  Relieving mosquito bites and other skin irritations, light entertainment :P

Not so good for:  English lessons?!

Having lived away from Malaysia for the last (almost) 15 years, my skin is quite sensitive to mosquito bites.  After 4 days of being here, I am now moderately covered in little red spots.  So I was offered some cream by my parents to alleviate the itching.  It came in the jar above....

I have to say I spent quite some time giggling at the jar and its label.  I am not sure what I found funniest.   "Keep Dry and Shady" or "Do not drink" or "Scribble on skins" - Google Translate gone wrong!  But the cream seems to help the mosquito bites which is what is important.  :)

Touchscreen Notebook

Good for:  Coolness factor, surprisingly convenient option of "touching the screen" to do what you want

Not so good for:  Older techno-phobes, Windows 8 annoying interface

Things have been a bit quiet on my side for the last week and a bit.  Reason being, I was first getting ready for and am now on, a flying visit to Malaysia! Being a true Malaysian who lives abroad, I have 2 interesting items on my agenda:  Eating and shopping.  :P  

I'll save eating for another post, but today I went shopping with my family. 

First I was dazzled by the colours clothes in F.O.S., and eventually I bought a touchscreen notebook.  I am not keen on Apple products, and do not own or use any computers other than my work machine, and my mini laptop at home.  So this is my primary means of storing data, tracking training and social-media-ing.  My criteria of selection was coolness, small(and light)ness and ability to transfer and process training data and pictures.

I first looked at a tablet with a keyboard option, but was told that whilst it appeared to be equivalent to a laptop, a tablet is not capable of supporting special software that I use regularly such as Adobe Acrobat, Garmin Training Centre, and Suunto Movescount. It was "USB capable" but only had one USB port.  And it did not have an SD card reader.  Good to know.  That just rendered it incapable of fulfilling 60% of my requirements.  So it was back to a more traditional laptop option in the end.  But with a touchscreen, hah!  It had to be cool in some way, right?!?

Rainy-Denmark vs Water-Rationing-Malaysia

Good for:  A reminder that things might not be as bad as they seem!
Not so good for:  Cycling outdoors (in Denmark) and/or taking a shower (in KL)

First of all I must admit that keeping to the theme of this blog was a bit challenging for this post.  But I will persevere!  Second of all, I admit that you can't tell just how rainy it was when that picture was taken.  But I can assure you it was RAINY...  my soggy clothes were evident of it (although I have no photographic proof).  :P

Those of you who have been reading my blog will know that I am going on a flying visit to Malaysia next week.  I saw this article about water rationing in the Klang Valley last night, and couldn't help but compare it to how we are always complaining about the "dårligt vejr" (terrible weather) in Denmark.  According to the article, 2.2. million households will have water for 2 days, followed by 2 days of dry taps.  My family are lucky enough that our house does not fall into the areas affected.

So maybe I should stop complaining about the rain and slightly flooded river banks I have to run on.  At least I can take a shower when I want to in Denmark!

Hello Spring!

Good for:  Better weather for more outdoor training, outdoor meals, BBQs, etc (keyword being outdoors!)
Not so good for:  Unpredictable weather (it might snow in spring in Denmark)

With my ever improving Danish, I heard this on the radio today:  "Today is the last day of winter..."  Yay!  So I guess it is spring.....  I must confess that the picture above was more likely to have been taken in summer though.  :P

With spring comes new flowers, baby animals and most importantly (hopefully) better weather.  Don't get me wrong, I like winter for what it is - Christmas and candles and cozy windowsills.  But I do not enjoy cycling in the wind and rain.  Much as I enjoyed the spinning sessions with the local cycle club, I look forward to cycling outdoors in the (even if flat) Danish countryside, and even more so to the impending race season.  Game on!  :)

Oh yes, and did I mention BBQs??  That starts tomorrow...  :D

Spinning woman

Good for:  Distracting yourself

Not so good for:  Trying to stay focused

Ok, so there has been a large influx of posts on my Facebook about a test that tells you whether you are left or right brained.  Being ever curious, I had to try it.  This picture is one of the questions.

Which way is the woman spinning?  Clockwise or counter clockwise?

I have done many tests and knew that I should be able to see this woman turning both ways.  But I couldn't!  I still struggle, but I can sort of force it now.  It's quite amazing how your brain gathers the information it needs and draws its own conclusions.  ;)  So what do you see?  And can you see it the other way??  :D

Examining the soles of your running shoes

Good for:  Getting an idea about your running style and what shoes suit you best
Not so good for:  Muddy shoes indoors :)

I remember a time when I bought the cheapest trainer on offer in the sports' shop when I was a student in the UK.  I ended up running in weird shoes, the weirdest being an indoor tennis shoe, although I did not know it at the time.  Then I started buying "real" running shoes from a running shop in Aberdeen.  The recommended shoe at the time were "stability shoes", something I wore for many years after.

That is, until I noticed the sole of my shoes last year.  The picture above shows my current running shoe.  As you can see, it is unevenly worn, with the inner, bottom part of the soles practically brand new.  I am a mid- to fore-foot striker.  Even more interestingly, it was a natural running shoe (bought from my friendly local shoe shop) which I would now not trade in for any of the padded stuff you get on the market today.

But you can learn a lot by looking at the last pair of shoes you have been running in.  Bring them to your local shop and they will be able to give you some good advice.  :)

Racing with a club

Good for:  Motivation, socializing in a triathlon context
Not so good for:  Coached athletes who require their own programs

I did my first Ironman in 2011, the world renowned Challenge Roth.  It was a fantastic race experience, with the thousands of spectators cheering me on, but more importantly, it was the first (and only) race I did with a group of people from my club.  I was sitting in the middle of a German countryside, surrounded by 10+ Danish people, it as surreal.

I do think it is great fun to turn up for a foreign race with people you know.  It turns the whole experience into a party, with memories to cherish.  :)

Weekend free time

Good for:  Getting some training done, chilling out, doing something interesting
Not so good for:  Getting work done in the office (as if!)

I often get asked, "So how many hundred kilometres are you cycling this weekend?" or something similar.  The answer is actually "less than one" at this time of the year.  Weekends are good for some training, but more importantly they are used to "recover" from a busy week and having some fun.  Here is a sample of what I did this weekend:

Swimming (1hr)

Cycling (2 hrs)

Running (0.5 hr)

Sleeping (lots!)

Out for dinner (2 hours)

Visiting an exhibition (5 hours)

The last event also involved almost buying a caravan.  :)  Fun and recovery are important when the weather is cold and windy like it is in Denmark at the moment....

Have a great week!

Take me home, country roads....

Good for:  Going back "to the place, I belooooong", a mental break
Not so good for:  Consistent training, jet lag

I made an impulse decision in the last few days.  I have decided to go back to Malaysia for a flying visit.  And I mean a flying visit, literally.  No country roads to take me home, I fly home on a Thursday and leave again on a Tuesday.  With travelling time that gives me 4 days home.  Period.  Pronto.

Reason being a) I need a new passport (good excuse) and b) I just feel like going home.  It does not happen often.  In fact this is probably the 2nd time in my entire 14 years in Europe, where I have felt "Yep, now it's time to go home".  Not that I want to go home for a prolonged period of time, but somehow, I feel like hearing those stupid sounds in KLIA.  Ha ha.  My fellow Malaysians must know the chimes I am talking about.  ;)

So KL it is, for a weekend trip and a bit.  Yay!  :)

Diets and fads

Good for:  Quick weight loss, short term morale boost
Not so good for:  Sustained weight loss, long term well being

There is always much talk about the latest diets and fads.  Low fat, low carb, no fat, fruit and vegetables only, paleo, etc.  The list goes on....  

I have never been a believer of diets, since I think the key to losing weight and keeping it off is a change in lifestyle.  The body has been designed to need certain types of food in order to thrive.  Protein to restore muscles, carbohydrates for instant energy, fat for reserve energy, etc.  We cannot change our genetic make-up.  We are better off adapting our lifestyle to match what we were designed for, i.e. eating "natural" foods and maintaining a reasonable level of physical activity.

I read a book written by Phil Maffetone, and even tried his 2 week test.  I concluded that it is ok to read different books and theories, and take the best out of all of them.  So I have my usual Danish Friday breakfast at work every week, despite having eggs and minimal carbs for breakfast every other weekday.  And yes that includes bread and jam.  My end of the week treat, yum!  :)

Insanity is....

Good for:  Cycling across a desert to a cool (warm) place like Hoover Dam, doing things out of your comfort zone
Not so good for:  Being exhausted all the time, going completely mental at people for no good reason

So things are not going so well at the moment.  Recent turn of events have resulted in some unnecessary yelling and drama.  But there is light at the end of the tunnel, silver (or bronze) lining in every cloud, etc.

I have learnt that sometimes a little insanity is ok, as long as it doesn't become a habit in life.  Good insanity brings us to exciting places and experiences - it has brought me across the Alps in France, across some deserts and National Parks in Las Vegas, and over much countryside in Denmark.  But there is only so much insanity you can carry through with your daily life, before it starts to affect you in a negative way.

All about the balance.....

Suunto Ambit2 S

Good for:  A "normal" looking watch with geeky functionalities, a very small wrist, compatibility with gym equipment (e.g. iQniter used for spinning at Varde Fysioterapi & Traeningscenter)

Not so good for:  Configuration on the go, compatibility with Training Peaks

Ok so the picture is a bit weird.  I have tried to illustrate just how small my wrist is by comparing it to a can of tomatoes.  :P

But that said, I recently (albeit a few months ago) decided to venture off the path of Garmin (Forerunner 910X being my last purchase) after 7 years, to try something new.  I had experienced a lot of hardware problems with my Forerunners in the past, so I bought myself a fancy Suunto Ambit2 S.  First impressions:  It looks cool!

But turns out that it is not as easy as the Forerunner (maybe I am just opposed to change), and everything has to be pre-configured from their proprietary website, Movescount.  This means you cannot suddenly decide you want to add "Auto Pause" to the watch whilst you are out running and stopped at a traffic light.

All in all it was good to try something else.  Even if to convince myself that it was worth dealing with the hardware problems of the Garmin Forerunners.  But this white watch looks better and weighs less on my little wrist.  :)

Lunch time fire evacuation

Good for:  Midday excitement, distraction from work

Not so good for:  Damage to property (!), people affected (!!), people in the middle of lunch

We had some excitement at our offices today here in Esbjerg.  A cloud of smoke from a ventilator was spotted, and half the office complex was evacuated after the fire alarm was triggered.  This was followed closely by the arrival of 3 (some say 4) fire engines (one pictured above) and 2 police cars.  Even more alarming, an ambulance turned up not long after.

Word has it that there was a fire in one of the server rooms, and a person might have inhaled a bit of smoke.  Hopefully nothing more serious than that.  Not much to philosophize about, but I thought it was a good picture.  :)

Every cloud has a silver lining (or in this case bronze!)

Good for:  Looking on the bright side of things, keeping things in perspective
Not so good for:  Gold seekers, people who do not like the unknown

I was surprised to receive this in my Inbox last weekend...  An email telling me I was within top 10% of my Age Group in the world. I had what I thought was a disappointing season, having to pull out of races towards the end of the season because I simply could not cope with what I had put on myself in life.

The experience has forced me to reconsider what is important in life, something I continue to reconsider till today.  I think the time has come to make some changes.  All World Athlete sounds cool, but Trivestyle is the start of a more positive, balanced lifestyle.  Watch this space!  :)

Local sushi restaurant (run by Chinese people)

Good for:  Good quality sushi, friendly service from Chinese hosts
Not so good for:  A Chinese person who has forgotten how to speak Mandarin!

I received a surprise phone call today, in Chinese.  The owners of the local sushi restaurant, Fushi Sushi, had taken a liking to us, and were keen to make friends.  We were invited for dinner "on the house", drinks included!

The catch lies in the fact that I barely speak Chinese, and they do not speak English.  A chicken and a duck when it comes to communication.  But we got by.  Nice to have nice friendly Chinese shop owners nearby.  Good sushi to top it off, a nice recovery meal after a 2 hour+ brick training session today!  :)

Life in Denmark

Good for:  Camping, a cosy existence, health care, hygge
Not so good for:  Paying taxes, cycling on mountains (there are none)

This is one of my favourite pictures from my life in Denmark.  Pre-race breakfast in a caravan with my good friend Stine.  

Someone sent me a link recently about Scandinavian life:  http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/27/scandinavian-miracle-brutal-truth-denmark-norway-sweden.  It did make me chuckle, I have to admit.

But my take is Denmark provides a simple, uncomplicated, if mountain free, life.  You pay tax, they take care of you.  Simple as that.  Danes are welcoming (once you get through the first test) and would be your friends for life.  Highly recommended.  :)

Get some Headspace

Good for:  De-stressing and calming down, general well-being
Not so good for:  Staying awake when you are tired

You can get an app for meditation, it's called Headspace.  I tried it, and so did a journalist:  http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/07/09/headspace-meditation-benefits_n_3567421.html

I found it ok and possibly even invigorating, except I kept falling asleep whilst doing it.  :P  I have been told you need to practice focus in order to focus. Hmmmm. Try it, and if you do, please share you experience with me.  :)

Spinning with your local club

Good for:  Getting your heart rate up and showing off how fit you are, motivation in cold winter months, alternative to having snow fall on your head whilst cycling outdoors on a roller

Not so good for:  Cycle technique, sweating like a pig

So I started doing spin classes with my local cycle club, Varde Cykelclub, this winter.  It is good fun, with a show-off opportunity of having your heart rate displayed on the big screen.  Being the ever competitive person, I have now managed to record up to 199 bpm heart rate, something I have never seen before in real, outdoor life.  Followed by pretending to be completely in control after, "199bpm?  No sweat, baby!".  Or something.....

But I also discovered that too much spinning = forget how to cycle a real bike. So I've agreed with myself once a week of spinning is ok.  Need to get on to a real bike the other 1-2 times per week.  :)

Caravans

Good for:  A cosy holiday, mobile home with easy access to home cooking, adventures
Not so good for:  5 star hotel experience, cold weather

I took this picture because it was funny.  It is actually a handbag!

But this post is to illustrate I like caravans.  I had never been in a caravan before I moved to Denmark.  But I think the concept is pretty cool actually.  Drive your home, wherever you want.  Bring the food you want, wherever you want!  Sleep with your own bed clothes, with your own pillows.  What's not to like??

Welcome

Welcome to Trivestyle, and thank you for visiting.  Trivestyle is my new project, an attempt to reinvent my life.

You see, I have tried various modes of life.  Once upon a time I thought my goal in life was to get married and live happily ever after.  Well, that did not happen for me.  So I tried triathlon instead.  Which has been a fantastic journey, that has brought me to some beautiful and exciting places.  When I started, I did triathlon for fun.  Completely random training and race choices.  Then I thought I could be world champion.  So I hired a coach and took it very seriously....

Two years on, and I know I will never be world champion.  Fine by me, I just wanted to find out of it was possible.  And so now I embark on a new journey....  How do I thrive in a life that includes triathlon on top of a "normal" life?  I am up for trying new things and concepts, and will keep you posted along the way.  My ultimate goal?  To be happy with my life.

Let the journey begin!

Cross Country Skiing

Good for:  Building endurance, peace and quiet, lovely views, feeling alone

Not so good for:  Injuries (skis do not clip out when you fall!), legs not used to cross country skiing

So, I went on a ski holiday recently, to Trysil, with boyfriend and his kids and mum.  In an attempt to stay fit and/or get fitter, I did some cross country skiing.

Loved the peace and tranquillity of being out in the open mountain, but my legs did not like being used in a way that they are not used to.  I would recommend it for cross-training when on a ski holiday, but be prepared to be sore after.  Also be prepared for sweat drenched clothes if you wear too much, and be warned that the weather might change dramatically when you get to the other side of the mountain.  Been there, done that.  :D