Another day in the rain on the bike for Ironman 2020 hopeful Nick Hume. Photo / Rachel Hume Photography
Another day in the rain on the bike for Ironman 2020 hopeful Nick Hume. Photo / Rachel Hume Photography
It's in the training schedule and come Saturday Nick Hume, 42, and about 20 mates are cycling around Lake Taupō anyway.
The 2020 Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge was officially cancelled due to the coronavirus Covid-19, however Nick points out that many people would have booked their accommodation at the same time as they entered New Zealand's premier amateur road cycling event.
Five months out from his first Ironman event, Nick has upped his training to 15 to 18 hours a week and has started going for longer rides and runs. This weekend just gone, he clocked up a 30km run around the Orakau mountain biking trail at Kinloch.
For those chasing triathlon events Covid-19 has been something of a mixed blessing, with Nick saying many of the events cancelled earlier in the year are now appearing weekend after weekend this spring and summer. Next weekend would have been the Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge and Nick says a group of about 20 friends are meeting up and cycling around the lake for the fun of it.
"We've done the training, so we've got to do something," said Nick.
The following weekend, Nick and a few friends are doing the 141km Gentle Annie Bike Ride, a one day cycling event between Taihape and Hastings.
Making training enjoyable by entering local events like Craters Classic, Nick Hume (left) and Wyn Warner (right). Photo / Supplied
Since talking to the Taupō & Tūrangi Weekender about his training in October, Nick says he has received a lot of unsolicited but positive advice from other Ironmen and Ironwomen in the Taupō community.
"The best tip was to do with chafing of the nipples. I was told to put sticking plasters on my nipples during the longer runs. It's been quite useful," said Nick.
He said real estate agent, Ironman, and Ironman New Zealand volunteer director Felicity Cantwell had given him the best advice on staying with the training for the long haul.
"Felicity said to enjoy the process, not to focus on the event date in March because then you lose sight of the enjoyable training experiences."
Being enjoyable for Nick means training off-road or in the lake, and training with his young son or with friends.
Another tip was to not drink alcohol and Nick says after experimenting with giving up alcohol, he has decided to give it a miss until after the event.
"The recovery time is much better."
Although it is his weaker code, Nick prefers to swim in the lake,
"The pool bores the hell out of me and we do the Ironman in the lake."
He says the lake temperature currently varies between 14 and 16 degrees and says the two degrees is the difference between freezing and bearable.
"It's nice to swim in the lake after work. I quietly swim a couple of kilometres, we are very lucky to live here."
Another piece of advice from a friend was to pay more attention to his heart rate and having followed this advice for the last couple of months Nick says he can now see why Ironman competitors tend to train by themselves.
"If my heart rate is elevated in the morning it means I haven't recovered from training yesterday and I can tell I am going to have difficulty with training today.
"Then I go out for a ride with my mates and they go too fast. Of course being the typical male I keep up with them."
At this stage he is not following a special diet. But after yesterday's big run Nick says he knows he has to take care not to stand up too fast as his Garmin watch is telling him he has a low heart rate this morning.
"I will need to eat more regularly today."
This weekend would have been Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge weekend and Nick says they are planning on starting at Tongariro North Domain and have arranged drop bags to refuel at Kuratau. Son Jacob, 14, is planning on joining them at Kinloch and will cycle 100km as Nick says it's too much for the younger ones to do the full distance.
