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!!