Mooloolaba Triathlon

So, late last year my friend Belle told me that I was on standby to fill a spot in her team that was competing in the Mooloolaba Triathlon in late March. In late January, she told me she didn't want to train to swim the 1500m and that I was in.

I admit, I was thinking the whole time "how hard can it be, it is only 1500m..."

Well, last weekend was D-Day! I spent the weekend at Mooloolaba and had a blast. However when I woke up Sunday morning and realised it was time to actually do it... I FREAKED OUT HARDCORE!!! This only intensified when I walked down onto the beach and saw the entire 1500m mapped out by buoys.

In my head, 1500ms isn't that far. You know, it is only 15 x 100m - EASY! However, when you see the entirety of the swim out there in front of your eyes... it is really deceptive!

I also have a really irrational fear of sharks, and that course was a LONG, and I mean LONG, way out to sea! So walking the 800m up the beach to the start line, I really started to freak!

Luckily I had Dave and Clarkey with me, and conversation on anything other than the swim I was about to do was a welcome distraction!

Once I got up there the boys disappeared as their waves started before mine. Luckily their company was replaced by my beautiful friend Sian, her hubby Matt and the rest of the Japan crew!

One thing I should say is, I have never been a distance swimmer! Yes, I swam Ks and Ks before and after school for years, but my training is one thing. Racing is another and anything over 100m in a race was not good for me :P

My goal before the swim was to do it in approximately 30 mins. I though a 2 min pace per hundred was fairly acceptable.

So I started the course. It was an M shaped course. Out to sea, back in on an angle, through the buoy gate, back out to sea on an angle, around the buoy and then back to shore.

After the first part out to sea, I was feeling really really good. Minus the fight for "water" at the start where every one swam over everyone just to get "space". My feeling really really good was awesome... until I realised that that wasn't even a 1/3rd of the race!! haha.

Anyway, I finished the swim and when I caught up with Belle and the crew they thought I'd done it in about 35mins which I was happy about. Belle was waiting for me with a (read: LOTS) of Zooper Doopers (water icey poles for those who don't know). I polished off 6 very quickly :) Here is a photo of Sim and I. Sim did the entire triathlon by himself - he started hours before me, so had finished the entire thing by the time I'd finished my swim.

(That is my fourth or fifth Zooper Dooper, and Sim's first...)

I rang mum and told her. Her response was something along the lines of "35 mins is good. When you said 30, I didn't really think you'd allowed for waves, tides, and no tumble turns! Ocean swimming is a lot different to pool swimming!!"

Thanks for the support mum!

Anyway, the official times came out later that night and I actually did it in 30mins 32 secs - which I was stoked about! Take that mum!! My approximate was practically spot on!! WOO HOO!!

Anyway, I am really proud of that effort... What I am not proud of is the photo Sian got of me coming out of the water... I look like death and that photo should NEVER, EVER, EVER be shared with ANYONE - got that Sian?!?!?!?

xx love Breanna

Lunch & Manicure

Today I went to lunch at Broncos Leagues Club for my pseudo mum's birthday. It was really very thoughtful of the boys to come out and train while we were there!! Ha!

After that I went and had a manicure and picked this awesome pale green OPI colour. I really love it!

It is actually a fair bit darker than it shows up in the photo. But you get the general idea :)

xx love Breanna

My Birthday!

Yesterday was my 23rd birthday! The highlight of it, other than being spoilt rotten by my parents, was this amazing e-card that I received via link on Twitter from my friend Shanna!! Love it sick!! 

Thanks so much Shanna!!!

xx love Breanna

Getting our Mad Men on!

Last night my friend Shanna had her Mad Men themed 30th birthday bash!!

I'm not much of a fan of themed parties, but luckily with this one I had a dress, that with a few tweaks, was perfect for the theme! Here is a photo of me as I was running out the door:

The dress normally has cross over straps, but I wore it without. The dress also doesn't have the tulle skirt - my mum whipped that up for me on the afternoon of the party. It helped to make the dress, which has a fairly flared skirt normally, even more "poofy" for the era. I borrowed the gloves off my grandmother and the pearls off my mother.

I went to the hairdresser during the day and she did a fabulous job on my hair, however as my appointment was so early, the curls she had put into my hair were starting to drop. So mum put my hair into pin curls to attempt to hold the curls. We both decided that my hair pinned up looked awesome, so before I left mum had a play. I really liked the result:

Here is a photo of the girls and I:

Happy dirty thirty birthday Shanna!! Hope you had a fabulous evening!! I know I did :)

xx love Breanna

Broncos v Cowboys - Round 1

Last night D, Mellie, AB and I went to the Broncos v Cowboys at Suncorp Stadium!

I met D at 5pm when she finished work and we walked from the City to Iceworks for a few pre game drinks. When we got there they were trying to convince us to go and drink in the bar downstairs as it was so busy... Given that our favourite bartender has always worked upstairs we went in upstairs anyway! We walked straight in, up to the bar in front of our TWO favourite bartenders and didn't have a problem. As always the drinks were fabulous... But we are picky!! We don't let just anyone make our cocktails for us ;)

After a few drinks, and some food we headed over to the game! Now because we go so often and I so often get my tickets from the ticketek sale point at Broncos Leagues Club, the ladies there LOVE me! I rocked up there on the afternoon the tickets went on sale and still walked away with front row tickets! Thank you very much!!

The pre-game view from our seats!

The Cowboys warming up pre-game!

The Broncos warming up at the other end of the field pre-game!

I really miss football during the offseason... But the things I don't miss are the nerves, racing heart and high stress levels!!!

In the end, my beloved Broncos went down 14-16. They seemed really "raw". Like they didn't have the confidence levels yet. I am hoping that they will start to gel better in the coming weeks. And if they could win next week against Canberra I would be eternally grateful!! It would make my time at work much more pleasant!!

Here are a couple more photos from the Broncos post game lap around the field.

xx love Breanna

A personal welcome!

I would just like to extend a personal welcome to the first day of my absolute favourite season.... Footy Season!!

With the NRL kicking off tonight, the Super Rugby already underway and the AFL season only a few weeks off, I am in my element!!

Tonight my beautiful girls Donna, Mellie, Andrea and I are headed to Suncorp Stadium to watch my beloved Brisbane Broncos take on the North Queensland Cowboys!

Of course a trip to the footy wouldn't be complete without a drink or two at Iceworks!!

Mellie, D and I at Broncos v Eels in 2009.

GO BRONCOS!!!!!

xx love Breanna

I'm back!

Unfortunately my 12 day trip to Japan went WAY too quickly!! I'm back already, and back in the swing of work! BOO.

Seriously though, had the best time with the crew!! Had so much fun shopping with Siany in Tokyo and so much skiing in Niseko, with the boys most days but with the entire group on the others!!

Here are some photos from the trip:

Sian and I at Laduree - Ginza!!!

Taking my plastic dogs for a walk in H&M in Ginza

The group at Karaoke in Rappongi

Me posing as the snow falls around me in Niseko!

Definitely wish I was still there! We had an absolute blast!

xx love Breanna