The Icebreaker Part I

Sunday, 7 July 2013

This story actually starts at 5:20am on Saturday morning. That sounds like a long time before the race but as Part II of this story is going to start in 2010, you can think yourselves lucky for the brevity of this entry.  Anyway - at 5.20 am on Saturday Jon got up to go for a 2 hour run so he could be back in time to be picked up at 8am and taken to Campbell Town (1/2 way between Hobart and Launceston) for a Toastmasters thing.

You can sort of see from this selfie he took that a) it's dark, b) it looks cold and c) there is a lot of snow on the mountain in the background. In actual fact it was absolutely pissing down with rain for at least 1 hour of Jon's run - but as he's trying to squeeze in 18 hours of training this week he isn't letting a bit of torrential rain put him off! And yes that is a beanie/cap combo matched to a buff. A lot of fashion crimes go unreported in Kingston, but not this one.

Anyway - he completed his run, hung his wet stuff out to dry on the airer (leaving a note for me to pack it later) and was ready to go when his lift arrived.   

In the meantime, apart from being rudely awoken by Jon's torrential rain, I had a busy but slightly less hectic and mostly dry day as I packed all my gear, the kids gear, food gear, the bike and boat onto the roof (in between the squalls of rain and gale force winds). I also took the kids to the library to get some books for the journey, and finished preparations for Sunday Night Family Dinner which was going to be held at our house.  We were ready to go just before 2pm.  The last few things I packed were Jon's now-dry running clothes, and my paddle which I only just remembered - phew!

Sooo. We picked up Jon as planned, continued on to Launceston and checked into the Commodore Regent motel (motto: we mend our cracked windows with gaffer tape).  Jon raced out for another 45 minute run (I kid you not) and when he got back we went out to a really cool pasta cafe/restaurant which reminded us both of our favourite Sydney place Bar Italia. It wasn't as good but it was on the right track.

Back at the Commodore Regent (alternative motto: don't look too closely at the 'renovations')  Jon was planning on getting up early so he was fussing around getting all his gear ready and he couldn't find one of his running gloves (he had one full pair, but needs to wear two pairs on the cold mornings i.e. sub-zero) which I claimed that I had packed for him earlier in the day.  After searching his bag, then the car, then his bag, then the car again he gave up and went to bed (after helpfully suggesting I ball them together next time).   I was sure I had packed them but I began to wonder if they had maybe fallen out on the way to the car.   Anyway - there wasn't anything to be done so we just went to bed.  I was worried I wouldn't be able to sleep due to fretting about the race and sure enough I did have some trouble, every time my thoughts turned to the race I felt waves of nerves wash right through my body and I felt weak and my heart rate would go up, it was quite amazing how much my emotional reaction was affecting me physically.  Anyway I forced myself to think of other things and finally went to sleep and only woke when Jon's alarm went off at 5.50am and Jon went off for another two hour(!) run - during which he had to suffer with one cold hand.  

Once he was back we all had breakfast and packed up.  During this process Jon lifted his bag up and discovered his other (missing) glove, which had been lurking on the floor all the time - huh so I HAD packed them!  We loaded the kids into the car and were ready to go at exactly the time we'd planned (9.15am). As I went to the toilet one last time (nerves were setting in) I heard the sound of a car not starting.  My hopes that it was the car parked next to us were dashed as I emerged to see Jon on the phone to the RACT.   Dang!  

So while we waited I quickly realised that there was absolutely nothing I could do - a cab or lift to the event wouldn't help as the first leg was a paddle - I needed my boat - so it was just a matter of waiting and hoping the RACT didn't have too big a queue of breakdowns to attend to!  My fate being taken out of my hands was actually quite relaxing - my nerves settled down and I was totally calm.  We just watched Dance Academy with the kids.  I was idly wondering to myself at what point I wouldn't start and I decided that if we were more than 15 minutes after the start-gun I'd give up, but any earlier, I'd give it a crack cos I'd catch some people 15 minutes ahead of me for sure.

Anyway at 10am the guy arrived, re-charged the flat battery and left us with the car going at 10:15.  The reason for the flat battery? Someone left the light in the very back of the car on.. hmmmm... the person looking for their glove maybe??? hmmmm.... 

Nethertheless, apologies accepted,  at 10:15am we were on the road. We arrived at 10:30, nosing past the throng assembled for the briefing and with some help from Ian my paddling buddy started getting my gear sorted. We really just had time to put my stuff in the transition zone and put the boat on the water - no time to be nervous but just time for a photo before the start!

Oh - and the weather was clear and cold - no sign of rain, but the MTB course had changed due to the rain they'd had during the week - the first half of each loop was no longer on the cool new technical trails I'd trained on, but instead on fire trails which basically went steeply down, then back up in stages.  Oh well.

Here's a cool photo Zali took of her and Jett examining a piece of ice with a pebble stuck in it that they picked up from the side of the lake..

Stay tuned for part II .....