Monaco?? Done and Dusted!!!

I can now say without a word of a lie, that I have completed the Monaco Ironman 2008 triathlon! My finishing time was 6:52:28


This posting is just a brief account, as post-race, physical activities such as typing require maximum exertion. I will update with more photos in the coming days.

The 1.9km swim took a bit longer than I had hoped, finishing in 52:28. For those who haven't experienced it, think of it as being in a giant saltwater bathtub with giant kicking sardines.

Some improvements were needed in the 90km cycle. The course climbed to 1500m, including a 22km climb to start off with. I completed the cycle leg in 3:36:15, passing 158 of my fellow competitors.

After the cycle, I started into the half marathon (21.1km) run. By this time, the temperature was 30 degrees, and the run circuit involved a hill that needed to be traversed 5 times in total in order to complete the race. While there certainly wasn't any records broken by finishing the run in 2:12:55, I didn't walk at all.

Claire and I with our gang signs - Spock from me, and the number 2 from Claire

Overall I am very pleased with how the race went, and very happy to have this as a starting point for triathlons in other exotic locations - that's right, to coin a phrase from Arnold Schwarzenegger -

I'll be back!

Monaco, Here I Come!

The next step in my build-up for Monaco, was a triathlon on Texel island here in Holland. Click this link to see where the race was:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=texel+holland&ie=UTF8&ll=53.130294,4.879303&spn=0.34442,0.878906&z=10&iwloc=addr

This triathlon was a 1km swim, followed by a 40km cycle and a 10km run. The sea swim was relatively peaceful without inflicting or receiving any open wounds, and I left the water in the middle of the pack.


In the 40km bike stage, I improved by 10 places, with 3 people receiving a yellow card (a penalty where they need to stop and start) for slip-streaming behind me.

There was a massive head-wind for 8km of the 20km cycle circuit which made it a bit more difficult, but at least it was difficult for everyone who wasn't trying to sneak along in my fart zone.


In the run, I felt a lot better than I did in my first triathlon, and gained another 4 places.


I finished the race in 2:38:36 - a time that I was pleased with.

I feel a lot more confident now, and I can't wait to get to Monaco!!!

Blood and Guts

Just when you thought I had finished with all the blood and guts, it has returned. For those of you who don't handle blood, I wouldn't look at the photos that follow...


Half-way through a 40km bike ride on my way to work on Monday morning, a car pulled out directly in front of me, giving me no choice but to harpoon the drivers side, and take a bite out of the roof of the car. This was the result...

After a spontaneous manifestation of Tourette syndrome, I got a ride home from the police officer that we had called.

I went to the hospital, and got two stitches to hold my bottom lip together, and then went to the dentist to get my front teeth fixed.

Two days later, and I was back training today with a 5km run @ 4:30/km and have a number of cliches that suit my situation, such as...

Anything that doesn't kill you, just makes you stronger

and

Bones heal, and chicks dig scars!

Triathlon debut

Nederhorst mini-triathlon was my debut into the world of triathlons. It was a 500m swim, followed by a 20km cycle and a 5km run. On paper this is like a 'jog in the park' compared to my Monaco Ironman race in September, but certainly required a lot more work than that!

There were a few hurdles for me personally, including being one of three out of the 200+ competitors who didn't have a wetsuit to swim in. For those of you who don't know, a wetsuit makes a major difference in buoyancy, and consequently in speed. Also having the tail-end of the flu didn't help. That said, far am I from making excuses - the race went well. I finished at position 69 with a time of 1 hour 15 minutes, 30 seconds.

My cycling shirt on the day from Tui - my favourite beer back in New Zealand - has a great graphic on the back that really was the best in the race...

I look forward to making improvements in my transitions and extending my triathlon experience in my next mini-triathlon on the Dutch island Texel on August 9th. It is a 1.0km swim, 40km cycle and a 10km run. I can't wait!

A Step Into The TV World

Until now, I have been one of the presenters on the Thursday edition of the English Breakfast radio show from 7-9am from Monday to Friday. It is the only English language radio show broadcast here in Amsterdam, and has an audience of both foreigners and locals. It has always been great fun, but now there has been an entirely new dimension added...

TV!!

That's right, the show is now televised on channel A1 and live on the internet, with an archive of the last month of shows kept on-line. To check out my first televised show, click this link:

http://www.salto.nl/streamplayer/tv/amsterdam_1_live.asp

Also, there was a full-page article published recently in the national edition of the Metro newspaper here in Holland. With a circulation of 560,000, there are a lot of people who were able to see the story behind Bondy 4 Brains.

Although I am trying to get rid of the flu this week, it hasn't stopped me from training. I had an interesting day of training this week where I found a new swimming pool to train in. It is a little busy as people also like to take their boats out in it for a spot of rowing.

Amsterdamse Bosbaan

It is the Amsterdamse Bosbaan - an 8-lane rowing lake used for rowing competitions including world and European Championships.

After speaking to some of the locals, I found out that lane 3 is the best to swim in, as it is the recognised 'no-rowing lane' in order to avoid collisions. This was very good to know, as I don't want to become a speed-bump for Rob Waddell, the New Zealand rowing legend on his next training day in Holland!

Get A Haircut Or Get A Real Job

Bondy in a Beige Brigade shirt with a beige Jeep found in Amsterdam

I was in London this weekend, and sporting the New Zealand supporters uniform - the beige brigade shirt, went to a local pub to watch New Zealand (a.k.a The All Blacks) play England. The manager of the bar was charging 5 pound on entry, and as he was of course English, was not happy that his team was being well and truly beaten by the mighty All Blacks.

There was some light-hearted comments made by all about the relative performance of each team, and as he must have become frustrated, asked me a question loud enough so all could hear:

Bar manager: 'So, did they give you a short back and sides?'
Bondy: 'No, it is a radiation haircut'
BM: 'what????'
Bondy: 'I had a brain tumour the size of a tennis ball, as you can see from the scar, and 6 weeks of radiotherapy, which is how I got my hair cut'
BM: '...'
Bondy: 'and....you have no comeback???'
BM: '....'
[at which point the bar burst out laughing at the bar manager]

A great lead-in to the 44-12 victory to the All Blacks.

In the triathlon world, I am entered in the Nederhorst triathlon here in Holland on July 6th, which is a 500m swim/20km cycle/5km run. This is much shorter than the Monaco Ironman, but will be a great warm-up race. I also have another lead-in triathlon on 9 August on the island of Texel which is 1000m swim/40km cycle/10 km run. I can't wait to see my training come to fruition!

Incredible Hulk or Ironman?

The conflict within

After seeing the two great movies The Incredible Hulk and Ironman, I am left wondering whether or not this is an internal conflict that is happening within me since my brain operation in December and the 6 weeks of radiotherapy that followed.

My similarities to The Incredible Hulk
- Exposure to radiation

- The Incredible Hulk's name on his birth certificate is David Banner. My name on my birth certificate is David Bond


My similarities to The Iron Man
- The use of machinery and apparel to achieve great speed and distance. For example, on Sunday, I biked 110km with an average speed of 30km/hr. With the help of a friend's wetsuit, I swum 2km on Tuesday, followed by a day that included 50km of cycling.

- I am competing in the Monaco Ironman race

It was hard to avoid the existence of this conflict given that a local clothing store is even selling underwear promoting it...

So it is still not clear which one of these superheroes is going to win the fight within me, but just to be on the safe side, take the advice of David Banner:

'Don't make me angry, you won't like it when I'm angry'

Stepping It Up A Notch

As the Monaco Ironman race on September 7th draws closer, my triathlon form also continues to improve.

In swimming I was lucky enough to borrow a triathlon wetsuit from a friend of mine. Normally I would swim 1 km in 20 minutes, but with the wetsuit I swum 1 km in 17:30!

In running I am now running 4:20-4:30 min/km on a normal 10-15km run.

I was in Cesena, Italy last week for a good friend's wedding, and managed to get the opportunity to run up one of those fabled 'hills' that we don't have in Holland where I am based.

The monastery that overlooks Cesena (1733)

See the exact course that I ran by clicking the following link [be sure to click show elevation at the bottom of the map]:

http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/italy/47023-cesena-forlì-cesena/710564368321

My cycling is also coming along nicely with a 60km ride on Friday by myself - in true Ironman style - with an average speed of 30.2km/hr

RADIOTHERAPY COMPLETE!!!!!!

Yeeeeeeuuuuuuuwwwwww beeeeeeeaaaaaauuuuuuutyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!

I have finally completed the 30-session radiotherapy program, and with no side effects apart from a slight glitch in the last week (see Burning A Candle At Both Ends below) and a new haircut, I am fine!!

Bondy's new haircut

I am still on training detox (again explained below) but will be back into my triathlon training on Monday.

I would like to thank the great team at the AMC hospital once again, and wish them all the best with future zapping sessions.

Bondy with the AMC radiotherapy team

Now it is onward and upward for me - so as boxing referee Mills Lane would say:

MONACO IRONMAN, LET'S GET IT ON!!

Burning A Candle At Both Ends

[cue drum roll....]

RUMBATUMBATUMBATUMBATUMBATUMBATUBBATUBBA CHISHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

[that last bit was the cymbal]

Well, I have almost made it to the end of my preventative radiotherapy treatment schedule. I have had 29 treatments, and have only one more to go!!!!

This is where my ultimate plan has come into effect, and explains the picture above...

The candle is my total energy reserve

- One end of the burning candle is my radiotherapy

- The other end is my triathlon training

The basic logic is that I would try and concentrate on my triathlon training to have focus on something other than my radiotherapy treatment, and if it my health deteriorated, then I could taper my training down as and when necessary.

I told Dr Stalpers (my radiologist) about my theory early in my treatment schedule. His response was that I should not push myself too hard. I said that unfortunately, I can't not push myself hard. If I do something, I do it 110%. He said that he simply didn't have clinical proof that this was an advisable plan, but that didn't mean that it wouldn't work. It has.

I cycled 130km on Sunday in just under 4 hours (avg speed 30.8 km/hr). I had planned to rest on Monday, but instead played touch rugby for two hours. While it was great fun, it is the equivalent of doing 2 hours of wind-sprints. That night, I had a terrible sleep, and was feeling nauseous. I put myself on compulsory 'training detox' until the end of the week which in-effect stops one end of the metaphorical candle burning.

It worked really well, and I am back to feeling 100% today! I will be back into my training this weekend as long as I continue to feel 100%, and given that the radiotherapy end of the candle will stop burning tomorrow. WAHOOO!!!!

I got proof yesterday that I am in good physical shape as well - on my way home from my radiotherapy session, I was on the Metro (subway train). The train goes past the Amsterdam Stadium - the home ground of AJAX Football Club (Dutch equivalent to Manchester Utd). I was in shorts, a t-shirt and jandals (flip-flops for those who don't understand New Zealandisms), and a 14/15 year old boy approached me, and in a shaky voice asked (in Dutch):

Do you play for Ajax?

Locked and Loaded In Triathlon Mode

After well and truly entering the home straight in my radiotherapy treatment schedule, my radiotherapist has been just as surprised as I have with the only symptom that I have exhibited being a new haircut.

In our weekly meeting, I told Dr Stalpers how I was actually starting to feel some muscle fatigue, although mentally I am feeling fine. He was listening intently, and making notes. I followed this up with...

'...and I have only swum 2km this afternoon on my way here...'

To which he immediately stopped writing, looked up and laughed out loud.

He said that my triathlon training before and during the radiotherapy treatment schedule has helped me to respond so well, with almost no noticeable side effects.

My triathlon training this week has increased in intensity, with a target training heartrate of 152 - 166 bpm. My schedule for this week is as follows:

Monday: REST!
Tuesday: 2km swim, 8km run
Wednesday: 60km bike
Thursday: 2km swim, 8km run
Friday: 50km bike
Saturday: REST!
Sunday: 120km bike

I am going to be competing in Monaco, but rest assured, I am not just there to make up the numbers!!

The Real Way To Get a Haircut

Some guys get their hair cut with scissors, while some go for clippers. These are both widely considered the 'soft guy' approach. The real hard men get their hair cut by getting it shot off with radiation.

Following in the footsteps of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, I am now sporting a new haircut carried out using the radiation method...

Dr Jekyll

Mr Hyde

Since receiving this new haircut, I have noticed a marked improvement in my surfing, electric guitar-playing and cage-fighting skills.

After an intermittent triathlon training week last week thanks to Queens Day and a twisted ankle sustained while playing touch rugby, it is back to full steam ahead this week:

Monday: 75 km bike

Tuesday: 15 min swim (cut short thanks to a crowded pool with one other guy swimming down the lane as though he was an octopus), 60 min run

Wednesday: 50km bike

Thursday: 45 min swim, 35 min run

Friday: 120 min bike

Saturday: 60 min run

Sunday: REST!!!!

Queen's Day!!!!

To celebrate me reaching the half-way point in my radiotherapy treatment schedule, Queen Beatrix (a.k.a. Queen Beer Tricks) put on a party for me, calling it Queen's Day.

Amsterdam has a population of 700,000 and an EXTRA 600,000 people came along from outside of Amsterdam to join in the celebrations. Here are a few snapshots from the big day...

Bondy trying on some clothes from a second hand sale

A local dog keeping an eye on proceedings

Andy, Kim and Bondy keeping it serious

Bondy, Luke James and Freddie

Sugar, Willows, JC and Matt

Jimmy and Lumpy

Michelle and Maaike

Emily, Renske, Conrad, Vinnie at the Amstelveld

Jake and Bondy

Lumpy and Michelle

Claire and Mikey B

Claire and Bondy

Dave, Susan and Claire

Jenny and Bondy

Bondy, James and Sophie

Freddie and Maaike

Bondy, Luke and Sophie

The Bondy Food Pyramid

Through my unique situation of being part of the radiotherapy patient community as well as the triathlon community, it has been necessary to develop a unique nutritional approach which I would like to unveil:

The Bondy Food Pyramid

Pyramid foundation: Ice Cream
After each radiotherapy treatment, enjoy a Swirl. A Swirl is a large cup of soft serve ice cream, with syrup and toppings of your choice mixed in.

Swirl

The nutritional value of this food is clear. The energy required to bring ice cream up to core body temperature is more than the energy contained in the ice cream itself. Therefore by eating ice cream, you actually lose weight.

Pyramid middle layer: Broodje Harring
A broodje harring, or herring roll in English is a raw herring in a white bread roll with onions and gherkins.

a Broodje Harring

The nutritional value of a broodje harring is also clear. The carbohydrates in the bread provides basic energy building blocks for day-to-day life. For those who would question the nutritional value of raw fish - 127 million Japanese can't be wrong!

Top of the pyramid: Beer
As beer is at the top of the pyramid, it should only be consumed in moderation, but if you have not consumed beer during the week, you must consider it a commitment to your personal health to 'catch-up' on the beer consumption you have missed out on.

On that note, I have officially made it to the halfway point in my radiotherapy treatment, having completed 15 treatment out of the total of 30. This is the same as making it halfway through a 6-pack.

15 treatments down, 15 to go!

Like 2 Beers Down Out of a 6-pack, So Are The Days of My Life

...and then there were four

With 10 out of the total 30 required radiotherapy treatments complete, everything is going well. Once again, to draw the comparison with a six-pack of Tui - it is like having 2 down, 4 to go.

After a 70 km cycle last night, a 5km run today, a 2km swim tomorrow morning, and another 70km cycle tomorrow night, I think it is still safe to say that I am fit as a fiddle!

Hot On The Heels of Lance Armstrong

Just to clarify, being hot on the heels of Lance Armstrong does not mean having any of my private parts removed!

After a full week of radiotherapy, everything is coming along nicely. On Wednesday, I went for a 70km bike ride with some cycling mates, keeping an average speed of 30km/hr.

But, most importantly, if gave me a great excuse to wear Lycra!

Claire with Bondy in cycling costume