Recharged

For the last few days I didn't blog or wasn't too active on Twitter as I was down at the coast with my family. We have a holiday flat about 20km south of Durban where we spend some time at whenever we have a chance. But lately there just wasn't time or should I rather say the spare time we had available was taken up by other things or a certain thing, named Ironman.



The last time we've been down was January 2009 and it is really a shame. And it is not as if the place is fully booked that we can't use it, we only use it ourselves and if close friends want to use it. People say it is a bad investment not renting it out but we prefer having it for family, friends only, renting it out to people we don't know is not good as they just don't care about it and don't look after it.



When I saw DJ playing and relaxing I actually felt guilty of not coming down more often. She was so exhausted at night that she would fall asleep before 9pm only to wake up after 9am in the morning.



I only joined them on Wednesday night after they have been there since last week Saturday but even just relaxing for 4 days made be realized that one need some break away weekends and holidays to recharge.



Kim and DJ picked me up from the airport which is a 20 minute drive from the flat. When we arrived back my mother and sister prepared everything and we had a BBQ. The weather was so pleasant and we sat outside till late just chatting and they told me about all there adventures the past week.

DJ and my Sister are like sisters and had a great time together.

I didn't take my bike with and just did a run every morning. I wanted to go for swim workouts at the Gym that is close by but decided against it as it would have taken up more family time. Instead me and DJ played for most of the day in the sea. Luckily the "Jellyfish" disappeared when I arrived and Kim showed me some picture of what it looked like the week before. Some days it was so bad that they couldn't swim.

DJ also learned how to braai(BBQ) and amazed me at how fast she learned how to braai. It was a sad but happy moment when she asked me the following one night while we were having a BBQ: "Do you think Grandpa would have been proud of me, now that I can BBQ" He loved his Barbecue and will Barbecue everyday if he could. Needles to say you couldn't teach him anything about BBQ.

During the evenings we sat outside our flat having a glass of wine and just talking about stuff. One night me and Kim decided we are moving down to the coast as we are much more relaxed, only to erase that thought the next morning.

Kim and my mother having a drink one night.

We arrived back safely in Witbank this afternoon and I did a 1 hour bike session just to remind the legs what it feels like after we unpacked. It was a bit of a struggle unpacking with Eddy wanting all the attention. Niel and Gerhard looked after him and all the other animals while we were away, Thanks.

Well I am now recharged for 2010 and can go full speed ahead and face the year. Unfortunately the same can't be said about the upcoming Ironman70.3 that is taking place this weekend.

With Ironman South Africa being three weeks later this year than last year my preparation is three weeks "behind" last years and I am definitely not ready for it. I keep telling myself that it will be a training session and not a race. The very hilly bike course will also add some pain to the "training" session.

Kim asked me why I am doing it if I am not 100% prepared? I guess it is because I have done IMSA70.3 since it started in 2008 for the first time and probably because I am a sucker for punishment!