Trip to Uganda / Africa - Tanzania, I am coming!

The last days I was travelling to Uganda during a fact finding mission for an international organization I am also working for. My goal was to understand the daily problems and needs of the people. Although I prepared myself as good as possible for this mission reality hit me quite unexpected. My core business is to create road safety, to prevent people of getting killed on roads.

But how to implement road safety habits when people simply try to survive to see sunrise the next morning? Living in Uganda is different - more than i thought.

But at the end of the game, somebode has to start also with those issues.

The people are very friendly, and the landscape is impressing - although my time was restricted and my possibilities to see more of this beautiful country were poor.


I met a lot of interesting organizations and people with high commitment to their jobs and business.

Prussy and Paul supporting me by organizing a lot of meetings and developing a tight schedule to attend all meetings. I was hoping to spend some days off after my Trip to Uganda - but of course now a lot of work has to be done. Directly after my Ironman race on July the fifth it is necessary to ride 450km to the Airport - during nighttime - to get my plane to Tanzania.

A big African conference is held there, and i was chosen to attend it. I am really not very happy, because I dont know how my body will feel after the race. I will have no time to relax, and will have to fly more than 12 hours directly after the race. I really work to hard for to less money...

I will do my work in parallel to my Ironman preperations, trying to enjoy the days before the race and the race itself. My proplems are unimportant, compared to the problems people in Africa face in their daily basis.

So the last trip tought me a lot - at least to be happy with my life and the way I am able to live it. I am eager to help the organizations in Africa, although I dont know how yet.

Yours
Norbert

Tribute to Ironman

I am going to write this time in English to honor my international readers - thanx for your support and commitment over the last month!

Nowadays it is quite difficult for me to stay concentrated at work. Of course this is caused by getting emotional each time I ithink of starting at Ironman Austria 2009 - my first one. Tomorrow is also the last working day for me in Austria. Unfortunately I have to travel to Uganda / East Africa until Friday. I took every thinkable precaution measure not to get sick - and I am really worried to travel there, so close to the event...

Never the less, I do my work like a robot, finishing all required tasks in the fastest way possible. It must be the current situation that gives me this extra drive. I did all my training, I feel quite good prepared and still: its not possible for me to get rest in my head.

I believe that this triathlon thing moves me a lot more than I thought it did. Yesterday I rode about 4 hours with my bike and they went by like a blink of an eye. I felt the wind, the speed, the air and i smelled all the lovely odors i didn´t smell before. Something weird is going on with me, but I really enjoy it ;-)

I am nervous - of course. But thats not what its about. I am thrilled, still 2 weeks to go, but I am thrilled! I can feel goosebumbs when I even put on my running shoes or when I wake up to do my morning swim. I must be crazy.

Or its just what happends to people doing an Ironman. I feel so much honor that it is possible for me to enter this race, despite what is going to happen. Over the last months I pictured the race a million times in my head - and the desire to finish has grown infinitely.

Its all about emotions these days - take a look at this video. Maybe you get whats going on with me...

Yours
Norbert

Cooles Weekend

Hi an alle!

Hatte ein echt "cooles" Wochenende. Nach Rücksprache mit Andi Klingler durfte ich am Glocknerkönig, einem Radrennen auf den Großglockner mitfahren. So weit so gut. Am Samstag davor standen 100km Radfahren GA1, 1h Laufen GA1 und eine Technikschwimmeinheit 1h auf dem Programm. Hmmm, danach nur noch schnell nach 350 km nach Salzburg fahren - kurz schlafen, und am Sonntag pünktlich um 0700 Uhr rauf auf den Großglockner!

Schon bei der Ankunft regnete es aus Kübeln, ich dachte mir noch toll, jetzt solls regnen und am Sonntag Morgen is es dann schön. Nach einer sehr kurzen Nacht im Hotel stand ich um 0500 Uhr früh auf und welch Überraschung - es regnete!

Ich sagte noch zu mir selbst, wenns weiterregnet dann fahr ich nicht. Nur musste ich um 0630 morgens entscheiden den Wäschesack abzugeben. Und pünktlich um 0630 wars kurz sonnig. Also Wäschekorb abgegeben. 5 Minuten später schüttete aus Kübeln - eh klar!

Somit war die Entscheidung gefallen - ich musste rauf, wie komme ich sonst zu meinen Klamotten ;-) Insgesamt 1690 HM auf 27km verteilt waren zu bewältigen. Meine Muskeln waren noch müde vom Samstag, dennoch bin ich ohne große Probleme - wenn auch nicht schnell - rauf gekommen. 2h und 22 Minuten habe ich benötigt (Schnitt 10km/h). Klar dass viele schneller waren als ich, aber ich bin zufrieden. Es war mein erster Glocknerkönig und am Vortag war ich ja nicht untätig. Der Sieger brauchte 1h17min - Durchschnitt 20km/h... bei 12% Steigung. Alles Wahnsinnige!!!

Es war eine gute Idee herzukommen und raufzufahren, toller Trainingsreiz weil ich musste mich doch überwinden in der Kälte da raufzufahren. Oben hatte es 2°C im Regen. Die Abfahrt war entsprechend kalt, trotz 7 Schichten Kleidung und Beinlingen als Handschuhersatz ;-) (die habe ich nämlich vergessen einzupacken...). Insgesamt ein "cooles" Wochenende in jeder Hinsicht.

Großglockner ich komme wieder - ganz sicher! Nur dann hätt ich gern schönes Wetter, wenn geht.

Liebe Grüße
Euer Norbert