Mathieu O’Halloran

I wish I had a Peso everytime I got asked that question!

 My shoulder is fine, always has. But my collar bone is a bit sensitive when the weather or pool water is cold or when I wake up in the mornings.  I have done a few “all out” swims with my big black paddles and cut off bike tubes with no pain, followed by satisfactory numbers!

Last blog I was rambling about a little fever. Well that fever ended up being a quite serious sinus infection that compelled some nose bleeds and solid head aces for about 2 weeks! At one point some people though I had high blood pressure or hipper tension, possible at 22? I dont know but I`m feeling fine now!

This block of training has been rock steady, consistent hard sessions with a variety of rookies! Most continents are represented in our squad at present, of which makes interesting conversations and mis-understanding imminent!

I quietly chuckle when doc “loses it” at the rookies for making mistakes! But often they repeat the same mistakes out of ambition…Even though I am still the youngest, I cant help but feeling like one of the oldest. Not sure why???

Anyway, I have a foggy idea of what I am doing next year. But the fog will eventually clear, my targets will be vivid and I`ll be armed with some sharpend arrows!

Its been exactly 8 weeks since my surgery.

And I can assertively type that my fitness is almost back to what it was before the crash. I still cant swimming around with my big black paddles, put that will come soon enuff. I also havent tried to dive in the pool just yet, just because, just because.

But I still do ride with the same bike jersey I crashed in and ride over that same speed bumb everytime I go to the pool. Theres accualy 2 ways of going to the pool, the longer and easier road or the shorter and harder road. The speed bump is on the shorter and harder road. And everytime I go to the pool, I take the shorter and harder road, regardless.

 Appart from a little fever I have now, I cant really complain because the weather has been very sweet, I have new training mates of which I get to draw from, which is always a favrite for me. Also we have a new TBB kiosk here, with a resident mechanic, who will do ALL of my bike maintenance because I am very impotent and fixing my bike. I just like to ride it.

 Anyway, I should be back at racing in November, which will be a relief…………………..

Mabuhay!

After 33 days without swimming I got to feel the water a few times this past week.

I got humbled by the local Pilipino squad here on my first session but those days are numbered, believe it.

Some pain free moving around in the water and I enjoy every moment of it. At present I can kick faster than I swim, and I really like just “playing” in the water!

I believe that I am a good swimming because I love swimming, the refreshing feel of floating and slicing through one of earths elements, powering off the walls and my ever favorite, lapping other athletes!

I have vivid nostalgia of my childhood summer days when me and my buddies would race our bikes to the local lake, sprint into the water and swim a far as possible, in our “CHICKEN” competition, which was basically last one to turn back, gets free ice cream!

The lifeguards add a particular loathe for this game of ours because we displayed a bad example to the other kids by swimming outside the designated perimeter!

My friend Marc-Andre was my biggest rival, some of our battles would go on for over an hour at times, with the clear knowledge that every stroke out will be another stroke back in….

It’s been 23 days since my surgery and I am very satisfied how my recovery has been going. I now have 99% mobility and flexibility back! Actually the only motion that hurts the titanium plate and 5 screws on my collar bone is when I try to kiss my elbow.  Yes, I do have a lot of free time on my hands!

I have read 3 books, watched 17 movies, watched season 11 of the Simpsons twice, watch the 2^nd season of Grays Anatomy once and I am now half way through the first season of Dark Angel! Jessica Alba I LOVE YOU!

I also gained some “healthy weigth” because I decided to eat lots of food to assist with my recovery, versus popping pills and supplements.

So now I have to wait some more…..……………….

Hiyaaa!

Its been 9 days now since my surgery and I feel much better than my realisim would have let me believe. I have about 60% pain free mobility back and I have to resist the urge to start training again.

 Often, since my crash, I was preached the same clichee quote that “what doesnt break you only makes you stronger” I have to wait for a while to see if this is true, but I assure you all, that my desires to move forward quickly, in water, on wheels or on foot,  have been widding up slowly and surely.

 For now, I wait patiently and calmly until some new and old alies trickle back into Subic Bay over the following month to prepare for the 2009.

 I’m also the proud owner of an intimitating scar!

On day 1, it was the long race, where it all started with a very very wavy swim, I lead for about 400m, but then I went of course for a bit and PJ was like “WTF mate? I leado from heeer”

So I lost a little ground, well, “water space” to the leader as I struggled in the massive waves on both loops. I was glad to get out of that angry ocean and stumble around the deep sand on my way to transition.

Got on my bike and first priority was to get into “my pace”.

It was already very hot and looking like it will be hotter once we hit the run.

I enjoyed the feeling of flying by other athletes that I was lapping!

Yea I was lapping age groupers, big deal, but I rarely pass people on the bike so I enjoy every single moment of it.

Got off my bike in 3 rd place, in no mans land, hustled out of T2.

From then, I basically ran intervals from aid station to aid station where I improvised to cool my body down.

Near the end of my run the clouds opened up and gave me a fresh shower.

Crossed the line in 3^rd place, in content with my efforts under circumstance.

On day 2, it was sprint day.

It Once again started with a beach run in the sand and into the waves.

Swam on PJs feet, 400m later I accidentally and momentarily got into a doggy style position with PJ  while ridding a wave onto shore. Sorry mate…

Once on the draft legal bike, I was surprised to see this Asian fella pull through on me. This fella was keened to make our 1 minute gap grow into a 5 mintute gap on the 15km bike section.

Once on the run, I had a short gap out of transition, but that did not last very long, at the turn around, PJ found his legs and pulled away, leaving me and our Asian accomplice to duke it out for 2^nd and 3^rd,so  in the final 400m, I put in a serious attack and caught up just a little to PJ, but it was too late.

All in all, lucrative weekend at a very beautiful beach named Desaru.

THANX MISTER CHAN!

Last weekend I raced my 11^th competition of the year, 5^th triathlon that’s been longer than a Half Ironman and 4^th race in 6 weekends. 

I won’t go into a generic race report. 

I’ll just say that since February, I am a professional triathlete. 

In my books, a professional triathlete earns more money than he spends through sponsors, appearance money and prize purses. 

Many posers out there claim to be pros, but don’t even come close to earning what they spend. 

Well, I do now!

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I started with pushing my big gear from O-town out to

It started on a ferry, about 2km from shore, the waves where steady and the sun was stretching prior to a long days work over the horizon. 

The water was extra salty in reason of the media boats roaming around. I maintained the integrity of my stroke from A to Z until I got inside the bay, where the though of being only about 400m from my lean and healthy Cervelo P3 compelled me to increase my tempo. 

Once rolling on land, I found the biggest gear I could turn over and keep my sight on light at the end of the tunnel. The early roads where undulating and twisty, the way I love them the most! Once on the main road, the earth, the wind and the sun where working as one obstacle.  

The monotony of the road caused me to blink uncontrollably. 

I visited, the bridges, the hills, the sharp turns in no particular order….I left them as fast as I meet them.  

The though of only being only a few kilometers from my running shoes, enticed me to used the biggest gears I have. 

Once on foot, I progressed through the early kilometers with a short and choppy stride and fuelled by couple gels each aid station. 1/3 into the end, I began to “feel” my rhythm

peaking through, I grabbed it with both hands a got my hairy ass to the finish line as fast as I could!

This race gave me more than financial security for the next 6 months.  It strengthen my belief of my running abilities in the heat, something money can’t buy.

I had my typical swim, jumped onto my 2008 Cervelo P3 with HED. 60 wheels and immediately got into my pedal stroke. Once Tim “the Hawaiian” Marr rode by me, I decided to pace off him, that decision cause some chronic so called “aussie liquid laughs” while sculling down water or electrolyte or any solid calories. To my amazement, it would only be at the 130km mark of the cycle portion of the race that the eventual race winner Olaf “super low cadence’ Shabatus would ride up to us. 

Then, systematicaly, all the numbers increased, of which caused me to lose touch, and ride into T2 in 4^th position, over 6 minutes down the lead. 

I started the run slow and steady, climbed in 3^rd place halfway through the run. 

My legs seriously started to tighten up by 23km, genuinely hindering my range of motion, making me feel like my legs where 10 inches long!!! 

I jogged and speed walked to the finish line. 

I need to get some ‘Chris McDonald toughness” in a bottle and have it for breakfast, as my abilities to push my body when stressed and strained beyond anything I have ever felt, is well, questionable… 

I sincerely believed for the majority of that race, that a podium finish was within grasp, it was, it is, and it will be!