Reidy writes

Monday 5 December 2011

Week 12, Done & Dusted :)

I can't believe I am writing about completing my 12th week of my 12WBT, It feels like just yesterday I was wondering if I'd get through my first weekend. I think before anyone starts something like this they waste more engery trying to find reasons not to when really, there aren't any at all. You just gotta do it ! There is nothing to lose and everything to gain. Yeah sure, you may find yourself doing things you don't want to or don't like to but its all about changing your habits from bad to good and it gets easier the more you do it till it gets to a point where the old habits get hard and the new habits get easier. Some people might find this a silly analogy but what I have found through my experiences over the last 12 weeks is that it's a little bit like training a puppy. You need to train yourself to do things differently and when you slip up then you gotta learn from your mistakes and never do them again or you may get your nose rubbed in it :)


This week I still got as many training sessions done as the last 11 weeks but a couple were something a little different. For example on Monday I replaced my regular 5:45pm Shift 60 "full throttle" class to a 8 kilometre downwind paddle on my new JMpaddleboards SUP board from Bondi to Maroubra. The wind and swell conditions were perfect so Corey and I just had to go. We covered the distance in about 40 minutes which is probably faster than in a car during peak hour. Downwind paddling can be a bit of a mission, first you need to put the boards where ever you are starting from. Then drive a car each to where your finishing, leave one there and drive back together to the start, then you can go. Its well worth it though. The work out you get is tough but good for you, then there is the special feeling you get when you paddle that little bit harder to catch an ocean swell or chop and you surf it for like 20-30 meters. But even better still, your out on the open ocean, free as a bird, no phones, no cars, no people. Just you, your mate and the ocean. Words on a computer screen could never really do it justice, its something you need to feel for yourself.
Our downwind paddle Monday
On Wednesday night I was fortunate enough to be a part of and amazing event held at Bondi. The awesome crew from the PR company Liquid Ideas put together a team of surfers to go night surfing in glowing suits with glowing boards for the alcoholic cider drink Strongbow Australia and Corey and I were two of them. The whole operation was on an unimaginable scale. Apart from the surfers out in the water lighting up the waves on dark they had legend surf film maker Jack McCoy on land and Bali Strickland in the water shooting video, Aquabumps photographer Uge Tan taking stills, helicopters, speed boats, fireworks and hundreds of people kicking back in the Bondi Icebergs enjoying Strongbow Ciders and welcoming the start of summer. As well as the party goers in the Icebergs club the roll up on the beach was mind blowing, there would have been over 1500 people on the sand and hill at South Bondi watching it all go down. Im not going to say anything more about it as I think the video below speaks for itself, legend producer Josh Cilento spent the whole next day putting it together and has definitely delivered the goods. Give yourself an "eyegasm" and check it out. 


I wore a Go Pro video camera on my head out in the water but the footage I got wasnt great as it decided to fog up once I was out there. I did get some fun stuff before we hit the water which you can watch below but its got nothing on the original movie !




The rest of my week training wise went pretty well. I had another good swimming session Thursday night followed by an awesome Shift 60 "Full throttle" class Friday lunch time.


Friday night rolled around pretty quick and before I knew it we were boarding an aeroplane heading south. Bacon, Maxi, Azza B and myself were off to Victoria to compete in the Anaconda adventure race in Lorne. After landing at Avalon airport late we picked up our rental 4WD and headed straight for bed at our accommodation in Geelong. We woke early on Saturday to head to our first lot of commitments at the Anaconda Store in Belmont/Geelong. It was well publicised in the local newspapers and on the radio that we were going to be there from 10am - 12pm to meet with people and race the odd punter keen to take us on in their Kayak testing pool. The morning was a success with lovely locals coming from all over to say hello. Some guy challenged Bacon to a race on an inflatable animal and Maxi took on some grommets (kids) in some swimming races, it was a great morning all round. Special thanks to Jenny and her team at the store, they were so friendly, kind and especially patient while waiting for Maxi and Bacon to try and climb their indoor wall. After several attempts Bacon finally got to the top with Maxi maybe getting half way :)
Bacon eventually made it to the top.
Azza made it to the top pretty quick.
Maxi is always great with the kids.
What a good boyfriend, scarifying his surfboard :)

We then jumped back in the rental and kept heading south, next stop was Lorne but we had to stop in at the famous Growlers restaurant in Torquay. The boys tucked into some very delicious "Open steak sandwiches" while myself, still being on my 12WBT, opted for the grilled chicken. The service was great and food 5 star. Be sure to check it out if you're ever in this picturesque part of Australia.
Growlers is a long way from home.
We had a great feed at Growlers
Back on the road again we made the 50 minute drive along a small part the famous Great Ocean Road down to Lorne. After a quick baggage drop at our rented house in the beautiful back hinterland of Lorne we headed down to get amongst the Anaconda junior survivor race. Boys and Girls aged between 4 and 14 years of age complete a 4km course that involves climbing a rock wall, crawling under meshing and much much more. Its such a positive event that introduces kids to an active lifestyle early on although I'm not to sure who was having more fun, us or them.
Maxi is always a crowd favourite.
Bacon stepped up to race the kids.


We woke Sunday morning to conditions Melbourne is famous for, cloudy, rainy and windy. The race was due to kick off at 8am so we rolled down to the beach around 7:30 to get prepared. Bacon made some final adjustments on his ski, Maxi rolled his shoulders over and Azza tried to prepare himself mentally for some seriously serious vertical hills. I just tried to visuals a Cheetah running through the forrest, it didn't really work so I listened to music, ACDC to be exact! The 1.9km swim leg was first and Maxi tore it apart. He battled the 1200 strong field and came out at the finish in the top 15, as he run into the transition area he said he felt good and sent Bacon on his 14km ski paddle. With conditions out on the ocean wild and wooly race organisers opted to change the paddle course to aid the less experienced and talented ocean paddlers but many still needed to be rescued and the shore line later resembled a war zone with hundreds of empty boats lining the shore a kilometre up the coast. Bacon had an absolutely insane paddle and finished his leg in 2nd place. Now Im not one to like a bit of pressure but that meant I was going to have to run bloody fast to hold it. I set off on the 15 kilometre trail run knowing I was going to give it every thing I had and I wasn't going to leave anything out in the bush. As we rock hopped around the point and across the cant and river we headed into the bush and began our accent up into the mountains, I was feeling really good and had no intention of letting anyone go round me, well, until the 4 km mark when I stood on a tree root and rolled my ankle pretty bad. My ankles are quite weak as it happens a lot so I knew if I just grit my teeth the pain would be sort of gone after about 5 minutes.  Around the time of the roll when I was limping two runners went passed me but as the pain started to ease I set little goals to catch them up and I did. After some serious bush bashing and a good back and forth tussle with another team runner the course took us back on the rocks and heading back to the transition area. I ran my last km in 3:26 and finished my leg still in equal 2nd place so I was extremely happy. As I passed the singlet onto Azza I slapped him on the butt and said "enjoy those hills mate" He took off like a bull at a gate and we ventured up to the final transition point were we were to meet him before the last 1.5km team run back to the finish line. When Azza arrived back from his mountain bike leg you could tell the hills had hurt him, he also had a collision with a wall trying to avoid a pedestrian but he'd given it everything he could. We ran together to the finish line laughing and having fun, it's what team races are all about. We came 13th in the teams division and about 30th overall. The Anaconda Adventure Races, wether your in a team or doing it solo, really test your limits and make you find that little bit extra you need to finish. It's part fitness and part survival and as far as I'm concerned its a whole lot of fun. I've gotta give a big, huge shout out to my cousin Heidi, she did the whole thing solo and finished up coming 5th in the women's. Your a bloody legend Heid's, I love you're work. 


PS: The video I made below has footage from the Go Pro I wore on my head during my run leg. unfortunately the batteries ran out 5 mins from the finish so it didn't get the next change over. Id also like to apologise for the 2 swear words at the point when I rolled my ankle but it was very painful :(
This kid had his heart set on beating Azza on the mountain, not this time !

Maxi pumped for his swim
My run leg and the stats from my Garmin watch, loved every minute !
Our team finished up coming 13th in the teams division, YeeHa !
After the race we rushed back to our house for hot showers, some Body Science compression recovery and a cold beer before the presentation at 4pm. I was very excited at this point as I hadn't had a beer in over 13 weeks and my 12WBT had just finished. I'm not a big drinker, I wouldn't even call myself a regular drinker as I don't drink through the week but I do like an occasional ale as a celebration. The first sip was a little weird, I felt like a teenager again drinking something I shouldn't but once that first one was out of the way the rest went down like they always had, splendid.
Its all about recovery !
We hung out at the presentation, had a couple of beers everyone and spoke to some of the solo athletes. These guys and girls just blow me away, their fitness and skill levels are just amazing. The speed the top guys travel over the the rough courses are mind blowing. If you're ever around when one of these races are going on do yourself a favour and go check it out. 
Azza's buddy didn't beat him on the mountain but he did score some rubber handles.
Thats Richard Usher, he was the mens solo winner in Lorne, legend !
So my 12WBT has officially come to and end and what a way to finish up. I had the best weekend away with 3 really great friends being active and having an awesome time, I am totally stoked. This week I'm going to train just as hard as ever because I love this feeling of being fit and healthy plus I wanna look the goods for my after photo later in the week :) This week I have a few things on and one of the includes the Foo Fighters concert on Thursday night then the big group 12WBT training session Saturday morning followed by the finale dinner later that night. Im so excited to meet everyone from this round and see their amazing transformations.


Im also looking forward to putting together a "wrap up" blog post from the whole 12 weeks with all the fun from this coming week included.


I can't thanks everyone enough for their support,its been an amazing ride that has changed my world for the better. Life is way to short to sit around on the couch and do nothing, it should be lived to the fullest and stretched to the extreme !


Wooo Whooooooooo


Reidy :)

15 comments:

  1. And so another day rolls around and it is the end for your twelve-week body transformation! Good going Reidy! I hope you keep going with your blog, even if you don’t, Reidy, you need to do what your heart desires. Sorry to hear about your ankle, but you did a great job on the anaconda race! Even though I live a considerable amount of kilometers away, but I feel that I have grown close to you, like you are my friend. You have helped me through my lowest times with your motivating blog, now no one can put a price on that.

    T

    ReplyDelete
  2. You are a FANTASTIC role model for all ages andrew.. xxx Lots of love from the uk.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Congrats on finishing the WBT! And fantastic achievement in the anaconda race!
    I really hope you keep on blogging, stumbled upon the blog sometime in the middle of WBT and then read it back to front in almost one go, and if i dare say so, the writing has totally evolved since you started and i was really looking forward to every sunday update, such an inspiring and enjoyable read. I've also become a total fan of the super saturday fun session videos, really motivated me to try out stuff myself that i hadn't thought of before.
    So thanks for the ride & keep up the good work!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Well done !! I seem to say the same old thing each week, but well done, I've always enjoyed reading the blog, I also hope you still do them, and I agree the comment " you are a good role model" and you are :) hope you have picked yourself up from splitting with your girlfriend, it will take time, but you do have lots of friends to help you through it. Take care of you :D

    ReplyDelete
  5. Reidy, I've loved reading your blog posts - great stuff. I hope you're going to keep on writing.

    Also, any tips for getting over plantar fasciitis? I've been suffering with it since running the London Marathon 2 years ago and it's driving me insane!

    All best, Anna :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Congrats for making it all the way through - i knew you could do it!!!
    That strongbow ad is so cool, looks incredible - how amazing that you got to be a part of that.
    The Anaconda Junior course looks awesome, wish they did something like that over here, but the adult course looks like a killer, i'd be exhausted in seconds.
    Keep up the good work! So proud. :D

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great job! you should be proud of your hard work! i have to admit, I am going to miss the weekly updates. It's nice to have a bit of summer when the US is now heading into winter! Keep up the good work! m

    ReplyDelete
  8. Well done Reidy!! so very proud of you, even though we have never met, I am just in awe at your determination, and what a role model for young and old. enjoy your celebratory week :) Love Kate from Newy!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have loved reading this blog, even though like some I started reading half way through and just had to play catch up. It's been said alot but you really are an inspiration.
    I re-read parts often throughout the week when I need some incentive to get up off my backside and go to the gym or take the dog for a hike through the countryside. It's easy to make excuses when you have a physical job aswell and feel tired but you love yourself later for taking the time to do it.
    All you boys did amazing both before and during the anaconda race! The kids must love you all :)
    How you kept 2nd place during that run and with hurting your ankle must have taken as much mental strength as physical. I have weak ankles and have easily sprained them in the past and know the pain. Good on you mate!
    I love all the little self filmed clips throughout the blog but especially this week. The neon surfing looked awesome, and it's great you are a part of what looks like a cool ad.
    On a purely selfish note, I hope you find another 12 week challenge or other to blog about, as you are a ray of sunshine during the UK winter.
    Congratulations and lots of love for sticking at it and completing the 12 WBT.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Just read your 11 and 12 WEEK blogs together. So sorry to hear about your split. I sounds like you have a great bunch of friends and you are so motivated to keep going with your fitness. I think you always inspire me to keep fit too even though sometimes I'm really tired after looking after my little boys. You need to know that also you are a brilliant and interesting blogger. Its never dull and always has the element of humour. Keep it going you never know where it will lead! I know you will meet someone wonderful very soon as you have everything going for you. I only met you briefly (in The Roadhouse, London) when my freind Becky dragged me there in search of a man (I was married wingwoman!). Anyway good luck to you Andrew you are and will continue to be an inspiration and you literally bring sunshine into our lives (its bloody freezing in the UK now!) Thanks, Louise (@lpcomms)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Dear "Reidy"

    My name is Bella, I am from the UK and have recently just found out about your blog on the internet. I have also been watching Bondi rescue on the TV recently; and I have been majorly inspired by what I've seen. I went to Australia in my GAP year in 2007, and absolutely loved it. At Bondi, whilst I was too worried about leaving my stuff alone on the beach to go in the sea, I watched people surfing and ever since have had a desire to take up surfing. This year in Cornwall UK, I had a pretty terrifying accident on one of my first surf boards in a storm. I was air lifted to hospital and have survived to tell the tale, which is all due to the amazing lifeguards who helped out-and hence why I have since been watching things like Bondi rescue!

    I have just been reading all your blogs, and think they are brilliant. I would like to offer my admiration and awe at you guys, who give so much to help others-in more ways than just by resucing-as you have shown! I would also like to ask a somewhat personal querie: I was born with a hearing impairment but have always wanted to go into rescue type careers (a dream which I have held unseriously!!) and known that with hearing-aids and an inability to hear in water, it might not be possible. Do you know of people who have done so despite a handicap, and if so, what has that been like?

    Once again, I wish you all the best at Bondi Auz, and I thank you for what you do
    Bella

    ReplyDelete
  12. Fantastic blog as usual and I love all the music with the videos. Please keep up the blog I love reading it

    ReplyDelete
  13. It's really important to teach children that sports is such a good thing :-) It makes me happy that you give them the chance to have fun while learning how to keep themselves fit!

    Keep it up!

    Love from germany

    -Miriam

    Maybe you wanna visit my blog as well!
    Oh and tell Maxi I said Hi. Te-hee.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Very interesting heartrate info. My resting heartrate is about 120-130, so I would not like to think of what it would be during such a race! You amaze me!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I have no words to appreciate this post ..... I'm really impressed with this post .... the person who created this post was a big thank you man .. for sharing with us.

    ReplyDelete