The Tao of Graham - Cairns 70.3

11 June 2018, Barron Falls QLD

Me: "Dad, what day is it?”

Dad: “The day we are walking together.”

12 June 2018, Cairns QLD

It is Tuesday. I am on a flight from Cairns to Coolangatta - a full week has passed since I stopped working. It’s been big week. On Sunday 3 June I said goodbye to my nearest and dearest friends at the Darwin Ski Club for 8 months.  

I plan to spend time with my father who has younger onset dementia and hiking the PCT.

The past few months have been hard to reconcile. On one hand I’ve been trying to get as fit as possible, lose as much weight as possible to improve my power to weight ratio for the Cairns 70.3 Half Ironman. On the other hand, I have been trying to get as large as possible as I am about to go on a 5 month hike and will have plenty of time to walk off my gluttony and good times. It’s fair to say I got stronger but my weight certainly didn’t go down for the 1/2 Ironman… but I finished the race :) I calmly and fairly confidently hauled my 74kg body around the course finishing in 6 hours 13 mins (28th F in 30 - 34). I surprised myself if I’m honest, not for finishing, I knew my stubbornness and pride would get me over the line - but I didn’t expect to feel so confident and calm… although the last 500m were the longest of the whole race! 

I ate well.

I paced well.

I was consistent. 

I am incredibly grateful to my mum and dad, Aunty Di and Ken, and my boyfriend Neil who cheered me on through the run; popping up at various places around the running course. 

I am thankful for all my cycling buddies and buddettes in Darwin and Chairman Dave who swam with me twice a week for the past six months or so. I am thankful for the DTC and the Lake Bennet duathlon which put the fear of god in me. I contemplated seriously pulling out of the Cairns race after that. I hurt, I didn’t feel good. I was genuinely worried that I had bitten off more than I could chew. 

I think my laissez faire approach to the race concerned people. Do you have a coach? No. What’s your nutrition? Huh? What? How’s your brick training? Why would I have any bricks? What’s your longest run? 15km. Does your suit fit? No. Have you done any solo rides? Do you have tri-bars? Oh God, who set them up for you? Oh you cracked your carbon handle bars? 

I gave the impression I was ill prepared. As a result I felt ill prepared. I simply didn’t know what prepared looked like. And, in a strange way I wanted to remain ignorant so I could blame my ignorance if I failed. However, I think deep down I knew that I had swam, rode or ran nearly everyday for three months and know I would be OK. I had also been riding consistently for 3 years. #QBH #QDRT 🚴🏼‍♂️

Then there was Neil. His main concern was that I would hurt myself and stuff up our 5 month hiking plans. A valid concern. I have been seeing a physio for 6 months to address ITB issues. Often walking just hurt let alone running. It’s like I wanted someone to rip my hip out of it’s socket and pop it back in. Through months of cupping/massage/acupuncture/spikey ball/foam rolling things improved. Though I secretly continued the cupping in the hope that it would reduce my cellulite, regardless of the ITB issues. My physio said that the cellulite/cupping theory was unfounded. But the ’science blogs’ said otherwise and I continued…

Neil thinks I’m a bit nuts but knows he is unlikely to persuade me out of my plans. I came to do the 70.3 as a result of a chat on a Saturday bike ride back in December 2017 with a lovely girl I knew as ‘Dr Sarah, yes, the British one’. I never saw her again…until the second lap of the 70.3 run leg.

Ruaridh was supposed to join me for the race. The annual bet. Doing things we hate but pushing our experience beyond the day to day. He bailed on me to head off on an adventure around the world with Steph… somewhat understandable. But the bets will continue.  

Fast forward a week. We land in Seattle.

J x