Haven't had too much to say !!

So that's why I haven't blogged in a while. I can't remember when it was the last time since I put a TIMELY post in, so I'll give you all the short version of what has happened (chronologically) since Christmas.
X-Mas day - Spent down in Gippsland with the whole family together again for the first time in well........... 5 months. Always good to catch up with them all.
Boxing Day - Drove to Jindabyne via Buchan, Suggan Buggan, over the Snowy river, around near the back of Kosciuszko then Jindabyne. A dirt road that has the most spectacular views of the Snowy River and the Snowy mountains. The next 8 or so days were spent chilling out in Jindabyne, not far from Cooma where I grew up as a kid/teenager, it's sort of my 'spiritual home'. We had a great time with 'Team Lewis' and Jill, Sean and kids, the weather was great and I rode the bike heaps. Rode from Jindy to Thredbo, Perisher, Charlottes Pass all on various occaisons. I hope to add some more details on those rides later.
Quinny - Started back up post Xmas albeit for a few sessions before going in for an op.
Alpine Classic - Rode the 140km ride which was Bright/Tawonga Gap/Bright/Mt Buffalo/ Bright. Did this with good mates Grechy & 'The Gaz' and had a ball. The hip gave me no grief at all, the weather was great and our 'Team' of riders took up nearly 1/4 of the caravan park!
Metal removal !! - Went in for an op on the 3rd Feb to get the 3 monster 110mm long screws taken out of my once sheared femoral neck (femur where it kinks to go up towards your hip socket). I was on crutches for a week and in a touch of pain. Again limited amount of painkillers used, it wasn't that painful compared to the last hour of an Ironman (hehehehehe).
Quinny - again - Back with the GURU. He even took Matty E, JB, Mike C, The Gaz and I for a killer water session the Monday before the Grand Prix. We all know that JB won in Melbourne and Quinny will no doubt put this down to his killer hypoxic workout that nearly drowned myself & the F1 World Champ !!!
Back on the bike, again 5 weeks after the hip op I was given the green light to ride again. No specific goals at hand, just get the hip used to moving without binding up too much. It was great to be back on it.
Ironman Oz, Port Macquarie 2010 - This time as a spectator. Again we stayed at the Sundowner Caravan Pk. 'Team Lewis' also flew up for 5 or so days and it was on !! Fair dinkum it was like an end of season footy trip. I haven't drank that much sice the last West Brunswick Amateur FC EoS trip to the Gold Coast last century, 1999 from memory. I've been told that I'm not allowed to support anymore as I'm too over the top. Nothing to do with the slab of Draught and all the Bundy that Stevo and I drank. It was great to watch the event 'from the other side'. I felt like a prophet at times with people asking me what would be happening next and what would be going through peoples minds throughout different parts of the race etc. My answers were truthful at the start of the day but no doubt would have been sprinkled with a touch of poetic licence as the day wore on and the esky got emptier. Great holiday though with great weather (again) and one which Marie and the kids truely enjoyed.
We bought and sold a house - Our humble little home of 11 years was great before the kids hit their teenage years. Having sprawling lounging spider monkey like teenagers getting in your way is now par for course in the 'Lewis Manor'. A bigger place was needed, found & purchased. The ensuing scramble to get the 'Manor' up to speed was pretty comical. In the end all worked out well and we are still over the moon with the price we got.
Serious plans - serious actions - I passed my next 12 month Sporting plans onto Quinny for his appraisal. I got the double thumbs up from the Guru, so then put those plans into action and as Borat would say - "Great success"

My training is going quite well with a few smaller goals in place before a few half Ironman races towards the end of the year, then Off to Ironman Oz 2011.
I placed 2nd (out of 118) overall in the Northern Combine Alf Kimpton Memorial Handicap which was a 99km road race in Broadford. I raced in C grade but ended up breaking away with the eventual winner. We solo'ed off and I got beaten in a sprint between the two of us by a wheel. I'm by no means disappointed as this far exceeds my expectations and to get home well before the A & B graders made it all the more special. Check the results here -
Next race - My next race is this weekend at Calder park as part of the 'teams challenge'. Hoping to get around and have as much fun as i did in Broadford.

Until next time, train hard, train safe.

Check This !!

A journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step !!

Back in December last year I dropped by RMH for one of my regular appointments with my Orthopaedic Surgeon. It was hopefully one of my last appointments, my hip got scanned and during my consultation with Dr. Love, he muttered the words that I've been hanging out to hear for a long time - "It's all good, you're right to run"............. So run I did. I took a photo of my first 'running steps' on the beach in Lakes Entrance later that day. It felt awkward, it felt strange. It didn't feel the way I remembered it - effortless, loping, whisking along at a quick pace with my 'chicken wing' arms sticking out. My gait and stride length was cautious, my core even though the strongest it has ever been felt inadequate. All this for just over 30 metres in loose sand.
The emotional feeling though was one of the strongest I have ever felt. I had been waiting for that moment for such a long time, I have been through a lot - from near death, to a hospital bed for a month, a wheel chair for 6 weeks then on crutches for another 2 months. To be able to do what is probably one of the greatest gifts given to me and do it after some professionals predicted that I wouldn't was a feeling of sheer exultance. It wasn't as if I was saying 'stuff you' to them, it was the fact that I was doing something that I have done all my life and to have that taken away from you with no set certainty of getting it back has been at the back of my mind since the crash. Free as a bird, and yep - I teared up !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Train safe, Matty

I'm back - well not quite

My first 'race' back since Ironman Oz 09 and although it wasn't the the full '3 legs' it was still racing for which you had to train and prepare for. Shepparton 1/2 Ironman signalled the start of my 'comeback' to triathlon and racing. Not long after this I backed up with 2 legs of the Canberra 1/2 Ironman - the swim and ride. Again a steady progression back to what I truely love doing.
I was always going to race Shep i just had to assemble a team. My neighbours and all round good guys Anthony & his son Patrick helped out and formed the 'Rough Diamonds'.
We had a few hiccups along the way. So many in fact that we nearly didn't get to the start line, Patrick is under age so we had to do a 'dodgy' on his birth date, then Anthony, on the debut ride on his Mega quick Carbon Fibre track bike got his front wheel taken from under him at the DISC indoor velodrome track in Thornbury. Usually falling on an indoor wooden track means only burns & splinters but he fell low side and subsequently broke his collarbone - 6 weeks out from the race! It all came together well and the team ended up finishing the race in 5hrs12mins08secs, finishing 21/48 in the teams section. My swim time was a very leisurely 37:20 while the winged warrior Anthony rode a blistering 2:34:46 on a road bike, his time also included my walk to T1 as I can't run yet!! Patrick finished off well in the heat of the day with a 2:00:01 run.
Onto mid December and it was up to Canberra with Gary 'The Gaz' Pertot and myself to stay with a good mate 'The Legend'. Ledge as he is affectionately known is a great mate who I have known since I was 16 and have lived together in various different batchelor pads all over the inner city area. He now subsides up in Canberra where he works as a policy adviser for the government. It's always a trap going up to see Ledge as he is known for his love of an ale and a late night so you have to be ultra disciplined if you are going to be serious about your race. This was the 5th time I've been up to Canberra for the 1/2 so what better time to rake Ledge into a race than now. I asked him at the start of November if he'd be keen on doing the run leg of the race, with myself doing the swim & bike combo. No worries he said so it was job done.
Only 4 stubbies and a Subway foot long tuna & salad roll on Saturday night was part of the carbo load then it was onto race morning. The Gaz & I started off in the last wave, 30mins behind the pro's so there was a lot of swanning time to be had. It turned out to be good as there was a good bit of time to warm up in the water. The swim went off without a hitch in the vile waters of Lake Burley Griffin. The lake stank like dead cows in a few spots & didn't taste much better, still I swam well (for me) and ended up plodding out a 36:28. The walk to T1 took forever, and that combined with getting my road riding shoes and socks on added probably another 5 mins to my ride time. The ride was probably one of my greatest. Sure it wasn't the quickest but I was consistent, attacked the hills hard, even passed Jason Shortis & Sam Hume on the 2nd lap going through the hills (they were about 10km/h faster on the flats!!). I simply road hard all 3 laps, the looks on peoples faces as I passed them on their TT machines with deep dish carbon wheels etc. was priceless. I rode Top 50 overall and 4th in the Team category, ending up with a 2hr 42min 44sec ride. Legend finished off the race with a 1hr 53min half mara. Afterwards was great with takeaway Turkish pizza’a and plenty of Boags being consumed. The Gaz and I left Canberra on the Monday morning and headed home after a great weekend in the nations capital.