The Three Ages of Crimbo

Another Christmas done and this year was somewhat different from previous years, thanks in part to our new arrival. At a more lucid moment at three o clock on Christmas morning I began to have a Dickens moment and reflect on Christmas mornings past and hopefully future. I have come to the conclusion that there are three stages of crimbo which I have gone through.

1) Early days
You know the type of morning when you are young enough to have circled all the presents you want months in advance in the Argos catalogue and then running downstairs at stupid o clock to wait on begin allowed to open presents. The morning was then spent tearing through paper to get to the good stuff. The afternoon was then spent trying to wrestle a gameboy (the original) off my Grandad

2) Mid stage
The years where I still rushed downstairs but was trying not to be sick due to a raging hangover incurred from the night before out with friends who I probably only saw once every year at exactly the same time

3) Now
With baby Oliver now on the scene there is probably little chance of (2) happening and I only run down the stairs when the postman arrives with something ordered online for either Wiggle or Ribble cycles. However, this doesnt mean that I am not looking forward to Christmas any less than when I was 10 or 21, the presents are not now the defining factor in a good Christmas and neither is the amount of shots I can down the night before. I finally understand why my Mum and Dad were not bothered too much at getting the same rubbish presents year in year out (many of them given by me and my brothers sorry mum and dad) it is the time off work when I can catch up with friends (possible still over a pint or two (just two mind you) and looking forward to seeing the Argos catalogue red lined with Oliver's wish list for Christmas 2013, I will give him a couple of years for him to write!

New Arrival

Well he has arrived, Baby Oliver Aubrey Thacker was born at 15:26 on Friday 10th December. It was most definitely the most traumatic and emotional day of my life. Helen (my wife) had to be rushed up to a ward for the baby to be "helped" out. Needless to say I am just relieved that both are healthy and we are all at home for a family Christmas.

One of the observations I would make is that while we have received a plethora of visitors to the house over the last week Midwife, Breast Feeding Counsellor and Health Visitor, (makes you wonder whether there should be some more roles in the Christmas nativity alongside the three wise men and shepherds) a lot of the advice we have received has been contradictory leaving the two very tired stressed new parents wondering what on earth is the correct advice. We are grateful for the advice but can it be that difficult to all sing from the same hymn sheet.

Over the last week, in the very few moments when I get a few second, I find myself wondering what the future holds for Oli. I would really love him to be sporty and get the same pleasure from sports that I do but I wasnt that sporty at school so I dont think it is a major issue if he is not. The main thing is that he finds something which he loves doing both in terms of a hobby and a career, or even better a career which incorporates a hobby... isnt it most peoples dream to mix there passion for a hobby with a career, I wish I could say this is how I found law.. but i think you know the answer to this one.

Training wise, it has been going much better than I expected. Helen is a very understanding wife and I have managed to negotiate an hour or so each day to do the same stupid things that I normally do. I also think that as free time is in such short supply I have pushed myself in the sessions that I do get in and the amount of missed sessions has diminished as I know that I cannot reschedule the missed session for another day. Above should be a photo from the run today

Better go now.. either Oliver needs feeding or he is doing something very nasty

Ironman Wales avec mini me

I have entered Ironman Wales on Sunday 11 September 2011.

Training has begun in earnest and so far I have managed to stick to the training programme prescribed by my coach. Frankly if I dont stick to the training then there is every chance that I wont even make it around the course. While the weather has done everything it can to put me off training with sub zero temperatures, ice and snow. Cycling is pretty impossible, although I have been out a couple of wobbly times on the MTB and even running is tough, I was never particularly good with ice skating and it is clear that wearing a bigger pair of shoes doesnt make me any better.

Part of the reason why I have, so far managed, to get my sorry fat ass out there in all weathers has been the knowledge that within a few weeks I will be a dad (blimey even blogging it is a bit scary!) All I seem to be told for the past 8+ months is that training will cease and the Ironman dream will become a nightmare with the birth of a screaming all consuming child. Well to be honest they have not been so blunt but this is basically what I have been told.

However, I know that other triathletes manage it and I and determined to make it over the line with baby in tow (albeit possibly in a photo after crossing the line and wiping the sick away (mine)). I know it is going to be tough but there must be means to balancing training, work and family life without resorting to a Delorean and a mad professor. Members of my own family have asked me when I will stop racing and have been surprised to find the answer is hopefully not for a while. I have been to enough races and seen enough kids at the events to see that it can have a positive influence on your son/daughter. So part of me hopes that by continuing to take part in a sport and have a healthy (ish) lifestyle some of it will rub off on my children.

Well hopefully I will find time to blog again in a couple of weeks before or after the birth.

Pedro

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Chilly Duathlon February 28th 2010
Placed 28th
Result28 167 Peter Thacker M Msen Driven To Tri 11:48.117 01:02.093 26:53.570 00:48.852 12:09.441 52:42.073
Race day dawned and the weather was not as bad as predicted, on the basis that it was blowing less than 40mph. Having said that I have no idea how the big balled men managed to stay on their bikes with disc wheels!

The run was awesome a minute quicker than on previous occasions, having said that everyone went off unblieveably quickly and I have no idea how I stayed with the main group must be the hill training in windy and rainy cardiff. Onto the bike and managed to pick up a couple more places from those more swifter than I on the run. The only problem was that in retrospect I dont think that I was pushing it hard enough. It is really difficult to try and pace yourself over the shorter distances, you have to get to such a high level and then just hold it. Go too hard and you risk blowing up on the run, go too slowly and you wont do yourself justice. I think the latter was my problem, I felt strong when it got tough and the wind was in everyones faces but I just relaxed, as much as possible, when the wind was on my back. The lack of bike effort probably explains why my second run was so close to the first effort, It would normally take a bit of a hit because of the jelly leg effect.

So things I have learnt and to put into practice:
1) Go fast early and try and keep with the main pack
2) Push the bike, in the next duathlon - push the bike in the knowledge that if the worst should happen and the run blows up it is not far to limp round!

Off to Bath half marathon on Sunday and then the Driven to Tri Big Weekend in a couple of weeks - Luckily I have a weekend off in London in the middle!

Tough Ten 14 February 2010 - Weston-Super-Mare

So the first race of the season resulted in a climb up the places ladder from 162 to 91 finisher this year. It was good to see the training going in the right direction and the fact that I finished so strongly is encouraging, although no sprint finish which will hopefully mean that I dont look like an idiot in the race photos.

While I am happy with the result I still keep saying to myself "I am sure I could have pushed harder". This is a bit silly for a number of reasons, I wasnt exactly moseying along at a sedate pace but I dont think I would have been happy unless I had collapsed over the line in a sweaty minging mess. This is worrying and a bit stupid, I have to remember that it was a good race with a great strong pace over a tough course and I finished strongly. I didnt over do things so training this week will not be affected, I have to try and save those collapsing over the lines for a couple of occasions during the year. I think it is just the competitive nature that it is inherent in athletes (or lazy people who just happen to train once in a while) that you want to beat others and simultaneously push yourself past your limits. However, doing this has costs and while I would be happy with a couple of further places up the ladder, if this was at the risk of training this week then it would b questionable whether it would be worthwhile.

Long Time No Blog

So it has been an age since my last blog, so long in fact that this is more a resurrection as opposed to an awakening! I could put the lack of blogging down to numerous things at the end of last season (having said that the last blog was only in May!) Since my last blog there has been a distinct lack of racing, albeit I did race in the Black Sheep tri at the end of July. However, lack of racing has not meant lack of training I have got myself a new coach, Toby Jameson www.driventotri.com The training has increased and I am actually enjoying pushing myself as well, though I think this means I may have been guilty of slacking in the past, no chance of that now and I have my first race on Sunday www.toughten.co.uk should be interesting to see how the training has affected race pace!
Not all hard work though I got married last September, I even managed to sneak a few early morning runs in while on honeymoon in New Zealand - glad to see that being a tri widow is not a legal ground for divorce!
Aims for this season
For some unknown reason I have decided to take on the Alpe d' Huez triathlon this year and have stupidly entered the long distance cat: 2.2km Swim 115km Bike and 21km Run at altitude, for the first time I have started something where there is a distinct risk that I wont complete it - NB I WILL COMPLETE IT though! trying to find a charity as well to raise funds for so someone can benefit from my pain - any thoughts.... If this wasnt enough pain I have also entered the "Worlds toughest half ironman" as a warm up, who in their right mind treats that kind of race as a warm up!

Right that is it for now - will blog after the race and let you know how it went