Damn the cramp....Damn it to hell!

Had a session with Kathy tonight, got through the majority of it but had wicked cramp in both calves, then in my whole right leg. Man, cramp sucks! I'm glad I persevered and worked my way through the session. Very tired today. Something to remember to get this week from the supermarket. 1x jar of Horleys REPLACE.
Maurice, if you read this, remind me to get some please LOL thanks brother.

Happy Birthday Shar.

Tired now, going to bed... GOODNIGHT

Gym session

I've just returned home from the gym and am feeling pretty pumped, so a good opportunity to blog and have a cup of tea before going to bed.
My weight training sessions are Monday, Wednesday, Friday and are at the moment, fat burning and muscular endurance sessions ie: 2 - 3 sets of 20 reps at a weight that I can get my set of reps out, but not so easy to do. (Did that make sense?) So, for example today's session consisted of: Chest & Back

Bench Press 3x20x45 kg
Incline D/B Press 2x20x35 lb
Seated Cable Row 3x20x100 lb
Bent Over B/B Row 2x20x80 lb
Machine Dips 3x to failure x 78 kg
Wide Grip Lat Pull downs 2x20x55 lb

At the gym, most of the weights and machines are in pounds. The squat rack, and power bench are in kilos, as is the machine dip machine. The gym is primarily a power lifting/bodybuilding gym but they do cater for most. No aerobics classes though... There's just not enough room. they have 3 treadmills, 2 stationary bikes, a cross trainer and a stair climber as well as 2 rowing machines for cardio workouts, so it's all good in that department. They also have a sauna that you can use for the princely sum of $2.00 and showers cost 50c. It's a good gym.

Looking forward to my swim session with Kathy and the squad tomorrow night.

Well, I think I've come down from my gym high and I've run out of things to say, so until next time, GOODNIGHT :)

In the beginning... Part Three

And so it begins, I join the gym (City Gym - St. John Street, Tauranga) it's a good gym, 24 hr, 7 days a week and CHEAP AS CHIPS! only $28 per month and an $80 joining fee. I got a program from the trainer, (actually, I joined the gym before I decided to do this race), and started to read a bunch of books pertaining to the task in hand. I settle on The Ultimate Guide to Weight Training for Swimming for my programs in the gym and I head back to the Otumoetai Pools along with my training programs I got off the ZOGGS swimming website that I used to help me train for the Ocean Swim at Mount Maunganui in 2008. Training up to 6 days a week, 3 in the pool and 3 in the gym.

Lately, I have been swimming longer distances, up to 2100 mtrs having started my swim training with a mere 600mtr swim and progressing to longer distances as I went through the programs I have. Last Thursday I was at the pools and Kathy Miller (a triathlon coach) was there training her squad. After I finished my session, I approached Kathy and told her I was looking for a coach to help me in my quest. She was more than happy to help me out and so today, I had my first session with Kathy and 3 others : Paul (Kathy's husband) and 2 ladies Dianne and Jo. We did 2km of swimming, sprints, drills and a shit load of kicking drills.
At the end of it all, I was absolutely buggered, but that's why we do this sort of thing... Isn't it?

So, for $60 for 10 sessions I now have a swim coach and a squad to train with, I'm pretty happy about that.

That's all for today - GOODNIGHT

In the beginning... Part Two

So, after a very minor set back, we have the 3 members of our Challenge Wanaka relay team:

Myself - Peter Tua, Maurice Tua & Katrina Stewart. I'm doing the swim, Katrina - the cycle, Maurice - the run.

Our race is on the 16th January 2010 in Wanaka.



This is my story....



A couple of years ago, when I was living in Taupo, I started to train with a group of novice athletes in the club that is the Taupo Ironvirgins. IV's are a club of first time ironmen and women who are training to compete in and complete the New Zealand Ironman race.

I never got there, due to things like shifting towns, finding time to really put the effort into training, but I guess the thing that sealed it all, was my lack of enthusiasim.

On September 12, 2008, I turned 38. I stepped onto the bathroom scales and to be very honest, I didn't like what I saw. I had reached a weight that I had never thought to be possible, a gianormous 156.50 kg, or 345.02 lb (for those who are that way inclined). I was very unhappy, not just with my weight, but my health in general and in my relationship. I needed a boost. So, this was my birthday present to myself :



"Mr Tua, you have got 365 days to turn what you currently call your life around and lose some weight, become a happier person and be better off for it"



That was it, plain and simple.



Well, it started off well and I had lost 10kg in a couple of months and was feeling pretty good about it all, then along came Christmas and drinking. Now in my job as a household rubbish collector, you get all sorts of goodies at Christmas from your customers. Myself along with my workmate acquired 17 boxes of beer and 2 boxes of chocolate, along with the crap you eat whilst you are working, it didn't take long for those lost kilograms to reappear. I got back up to 153.50 and on the 27th January 2009, I started to diet and exercise on a regular basis. As of today I am weighing in at 138.90 kg or 306.22 lbs. I feel a hell of a lot better for it and long may it continue. I have a goal weight of 100kg by race day, and I'll do everything in my power to achieve that goal.



Well, time for bed now, so to be continued.....

In The Beginning...Part One

I was supposed to start this back in February, when I was approached by my older brother Maurice, as to what I thought of the following idea : " Challenge Wanaka 2010 as a team" to which I replied "Who & what?", "You can do the swim, I'll bike and we can do a half marathon each" was Maurice's reply. "You find a runner and I'm in" I said, and thus the beginning of a journey that will be, I believe, both hard work for all involved, but incredibly rewarding at the end.
I'm going to finish this bit off tomorrow as it's 10:13pm (New Zealand Standard Time) and I have work in the morning, so until then....

GOODNIGHT!