"It doesn't hurt to ask , Mum!"

It is amazing the wisdom our children have if we choose to listen.

My 8 year old learnt a theory after I surprised her with a birthday gift signed by her Idol, Maria Tutaia (all thanks to Tash at the Mystics) it then got better as I managed to "push" her into meeting Maria after a game and they swapped email addresses to become "email buddies". When she asked me in disbelief how SHE got a present from Maria, I said"All you have to do is ask honey!"

So as I tried to talk my daughter out of emailing Maria just before her latest Silver Ferns game to say, "Good luck, oh and do you want to come to Thames and play with me and have lunch for Christmas" her reply shouldn't have stunned me as it is the philosophy I usually try and live by:

"It can't hurt to ask Mum"

With this in mind I honestly didn't have much hope in my theory when approaching my favorite swimming labels for assistance with "Swim for Nana". First email I sent off to an awesome swimsuit company in Aussie, one I had admired for quite some time, Then another off to Pauls Wetsuit sponsor in Albany - a few days past and I thought I was probably going to be ignored, another theory I am guilty of, ignore something (or someone) long enough and they might just go away...BUT a few days after losing hope I got replies from both companies, both keen as to get on board and both really passionate about the charity and me, It is very cool to transform from a back-worker to an Athlete, a mum in the shadows, and a boring housewife to become the "someone" of "something".

And as much as I love being the silent drive behind the Ironmans journey and my kids successes it is also satisfying to be doing my own thing, A few days after the emails confirming Aquadiva and Aquaspheres (I'm like the Aqua chick!)commitment to "Swim for Nana" parcels began to arrive.... Firstly my new swimsuits for training, and as I slipt into my first proper swimming suits I felt the difference it made in my confidence and belief, next my stunning new wetsuit, this one wasnt so much a case of "slipping " into, in-fact it as one of the moments there needed to be a camera as Paul had to literally squeeze me in to my awesome new suit, once it was on again the feeling of belief and total amazement that such large popular companies would back me, and a little bit of panic as I realized what is now on the line....With the suits arrived a voucher to raffle off for the charity, (on sale at the Thames pool) The Lovely Lucy at Aquadiva designed my flash Poster and the crew at Art Effects in Thames printed it off for me for free, I am simply one person trying to add my own little bit of magic in the world and to have all these people support and join me is such an amazing feeling, It is truly making the journey so much more memorable, and Tim, Lucy, Tony- you guys rock, Nana would be very proud of us all! The swim is now just over 3 weeks away, my nerves are calming, I know I am capable of doing it but now I want to make sure i do it well!

Swim for Nana Plan

Man life can through you curve balls time and time again and I think the trick to it is to keep getting up and trucking on! As a very wise man always told "smile and the world smiles with you Becca Barlow"

After a whirlwind of all sorts over the past few months I think I am ready to try and settle!

The Ironman has been nursing a severely sprained ankle for 8 weeks ( take note: if you hear a "popping" sound from your ankle it generally is not a good thing) although he is a terrible patient - I think most husbands/ironmen are! he has been very patient and sensible , nursing the injury hopefully back to almost 100%. His team of trainers have been very patient with him and Shaneo even went out in sympathy and broke his elbow! (the 2 cripples have been over training in the disciplines they are able in...) We have met with Walter at Go2Max and the difference it makes to Walts frame of mind having Walter back on board is worth its weight in gold, he is naturally quite obsessive when he puts his mind to something but is also quite lax so needs someone to answer to, and the respect he has for Walter makes him the perfect person for the job, I think it is very important to find a good coach that works for you, once you do it can make the difference between just being a finisher at Ironman or going out and demolishing it! Walt and Walter have found that relationship and over the past 3 years they have knocked a good few hours off Walts Ironman time and are hopeful of more impressive things next year!Bring it on , I say!

As I have tried to be sympathetic to what is happening for Walt and how frustrating it must have been I have also been nursing my own injuries, The stress from work and family illness proving to great and forcing me (truly it did force me?) to quit my job and take some time out for me...this in itself is very unusual as I generally don't do things for me....Does any Ironman Wife? however it couldn't have been more timely as it coincided with my Nana (and one of my best friends) first real illness in 85 years. My two kids and I spent all day Tuesday with her at home then she got taken to hospital that night for a blood transfusion - 2 weeks and 1 day later she passed pretty much in her sleep! I spent every moment I could with her, We all got to talk to her about our lives and her life and about her death, she got to tell all of us how proud she was of us and what we had achieved and she insisted that as we followed our dreams she would be there...IMNZ she will be waiting for Walt at the finish line, Keegz NZ Junior swimming champs, she will be on the blocks waiting. She was a true champion of life and we are all so blessed to have had her for as long as we did, I miss her every day and without her I feel as though I want to focus all this time I spend missing her on something worthwhile that would make her proud... So I am going to Swim for Nana! The plan was to raise money for NZ Blood, because over those 2 weeks and 1 day she must have almost drained NZ bloods supply, she received blood transfusions, platelette transfusions, I sat and learnt all about red blood cells, platelette levels, hypo plastic anemia, it was all quite surreal but as I watched and listened I knew that alot of people had donated to give Nana those last 2 weeks of life in good health so I really wanted to thank them, Turns out they don't need monetary donations...Money cant by blood Huh? however they do need donors- so please if you can donate do it, I guess we never know who we are saving or impacting but whoever gave us that blood for Nana I will be grateful to forever and I have signed myself up to start donating, therefore the second option was Save the Children, Nana has worked in their store volunteering for nearly 20 years, so with that in mind I am going to try and swim 5 of the 6 NZ State Ocean Swims, I have started swimming again (thats rather hilarious in itself!) I have a coach (who made me do a 1km time trail yesterday!)and I am trying to get a couple of awesome companies on board to help me..more about that as they say yes obviously!

So as I try and turn this anger and grief into something positive, as Walt tries to focus on the positive of having to sit 8 weeks out of running and as the world just keeps turning and throwing curve balls at us I think the advice is very appropriate , what else can you do but:

Smile!

Who's in IMNZ Team Thames?

Life really is a funny thing!

We spend our whole time here trying to make things work, trying for more time, more money, more satisfaction. We wish that today, tomorrow next week would hurry up and be over, we wait anxiously and excitedly for things we are working towards, all the while Life is ticking by and we are missing out on the now!

Having just recently had someone close to us diagnosed with depression it makes you appreciate that life no matter how long, and how great doesn't get any better than we believe it is today! We may get another chance tomorrow- and we may not, so why risk it! Why keep going to get something we may never get and forgo what we already have!

I know onlookers have always thought of our family choices as one sided, as Pauls decisions as being selfish, but after seeing the effects of a life that is now so fragile and dependant I know that what we do every day is what is right for us...It certainly does not pay the bills, and with overgrown lawns, half finished renovations and a dying car it is definitely not a help around the house, BUT it makes all 4 of us happy, It gives Paul a form of therapy, a hobby and a true passion out side of work and us, It gives me the opportunity to learn new things, to find new ways to stretch the family budget to get another pair of running shoes, to meet amazing people. It has given Keegz the desire to want to compete, to be the best he can be and to collect medals(very important not only at 11 but also at 38 aye hon?), and Cameron has grown up watching women do ANYTHING, meeting some of those fabulous athletes that she now aspires to be and truly believing that if she wants to race Kona or be a silver Fern, she will be!

We have been warned that it is hard to do Ironman "with" a family, but I truly believe it is easy to do Ironman "as" a family, I admit I get over it and the long sessions can seem very very long, but as with all good things it is what makes our today worth getting out of bed for.

As the trainings are starting to become more regular, the coach is starting to become an accountable reality, and the standard of Ironman Race we want to achieve is becoming higher I can sense the excitement, House renovations are being rushed to finish in the next few weeks so Ironman can become our all, dates for Keegz swim meets are being scrutinized as to not mess with the plan! and we are all pumped about what IMNZ 2012 will bring.

Paul has manage to convince a really great group of mates to tag along, Shaneo was a top (like national level) cyclist 20 odd years ago and is just resharpening his skills (Wife, Carmen is a beautician and appears very handy for the waxing duties!), Booda and Muffin (a couple) are both Redheads, both a little mad, have done a zillion open water swims, ultra marathons,he has done Ironman and Coast to Coast but she is one of our first timers! Paulie is returning to IMNZ (with Carmen, Carla and Lukey in tow)after an impressive first time last year - apparently the runner in the group, Richards is the other new comer, father of 4(Maddie, Baxter, Ruby and Pippa), husband to the best cook in the world(Mel), business owner and always busy, no one really knows where IMNZ will fit in but if you know Richards you just know it will! And finally Macca, decided against doing IMNZ as he didnt have the time(what with Kathy, Cole and Reid, Fishing, Hunting etc etc).....and yet has been doing ALL the training with the team, go figure Macca maybe you could have done it after all! As you can see a great group of mates and there families have joined in on our Ironman journey, it is going to be a blast and is truly going to make every moment we are here, there and everywhere totally worth being aware of! Hey would we want it any other way?x

Return of the Ironman and his wife!

Ironman NewZealand 2011 for all those who managed to get in had to fight the forces of mother nature and at some point in time probably wandered what you had committed yourselves to....Cam Brown once again won the mens title and the womens crown was passed onto a very deserving Sam Warriner. Taking nothing away from Jo Lawn though, an Ironman athlete I admire and have total respect for, she has been around as long as I have been supporting and my adoring 8 year old daughter has grown up with Jo as her idol..( not a bad thing at all in my eyes!) I have no doubt that the days events, weather included affected the end result in good ways and in bad, and as I have always said - this is Ironman.

Walt stood sideline all day wishing he had been out there doing it! Only thing is he never believed Jane and the rest of the Team at IMNZ when they sent those threatening emails urging you to enter as it was selling out, "Yeah Right, bloody Jane Patterson trying to get our money out of us" (sorry Jane!) - should have perhaps had a little more faith in the woman who had been so honest and strong in the distasterous IMNZ 2006. Of course Walt didnt have faith and as way to many people know IMNZ 2011 sold out before even half the kiwis could get off their backsides to enter!

SO needless to say there was no dilly dallying when it came time for IMNZ 2012 entry to open... there was no speculation on any side of the family camp, the money was tucked away safely in advance and all we could do was wait for the day......

The day has since come and gone and YES we are in! all that said and done the hard work now begins (I know parting with that much money is hard work) so I figure if he is going to go balls out, totally bust a gut giving this thing all he can I may as well be one step behind with my two cents worth, with my ideas (mostly brilliant!) with my advice (always appreciate!) and my support, and I also figure I may as well let you all in on a few ideas, reviews and what I have found works well for a normal everyday family attempting to tame the Ironman Beast!

In the past few months I have found some Amazing Products! and also some very average products...but those will be reviewed soon, until next time I am just so thrilled to say Mike Reilly we are on our way and by God we will be Ironmen!