October already, where has 2020 gone? I suppose in the middle of the year it kinda dragged on – listening to Boris and his cabinet go on TV every day at 4 o’clock telling us how grim things are. 8 o’clock if it was really important. The clap for carers thing on a Thursday stopped – probably good job as well as I was just about to tell my neighbours to stop having multiple people round each day, kids, friends, parties, tradesmen – completely going against what the guidelines were but still clapping for the carers every Thursday! Idiots like these probably kept this COVID going without realising it. I stuck to the rules, not because I’m a sheep but because it was the right thing to do at the time and being part of a society means you have to do what’s right for everyone – not just you.
I’m really trying not to go into a rant about people plastering all over social media about “make your own mind up because the government don’t know what they’re doing” – that’s just anarchy. As soon as you make your own mind up and make your own rules up everyone suffers as a result because we’re not all pulling in the right direction.
I’ll stop now {BIG DEEP BREATH}
So, back to October…..
Me & Suzy traveled over to Leicestershire (safely) just after my last blog, where I met her coach who she’s been working with for just over a year. He likes the face-to-face to start up with, something I’ve not had ever. I’m sure he’ll ask to see me periodically for that more in depth chat but we agree a weekly time slot each week where I tell him how it is going and he tells me to concentrate on different aspects of my training.
As I mentioned before it was quite daunting speaking to a complete stranger for the first time about my life and how training fits in with everything. Having a Wife that does the same sport really does help – I see many friends in this sport and cycling have their wife, girlfriend or partner get pretty annoyed with the hours they spend training and not devoting time to them. Sport is kinda selfish like that – you only get out of it what you put in but it’s clear that relationships can suffer as a consequence.
The bike aspect of this conversation was new to him too as I take direct bike training off a good friend and now well-established local coach. I’m developing well (apparently) and getting back to my old cycling strength which showed itself in a recent FTP test where I was punching out numbers similar to what I was pushing out in the winter before a good few seasons as a 2nd cat. It was agreed that some of the training may have to “dovetail” into my triathlon training nearer the big events but i’m well aware of what’s needed to taper etc come the big day(s).
The run-part needed attention as this pretty much wiped me out in 2020 due to following a pro-triathlete’s running plan and subsequent injury. I was assured that the speed sessions were not needed as i was already doing the speed I needed to do in Roth next year. Naturally, the more you run the faster you’ll get but I was assured that I would not be prescribed any session like that until he as absolutely certain I could handle it. He asked for a video of me running so that some sort of analysis could happen in order to see if my running mechanics are what is creating the injuries. We did this on my first 20min+ run the other week and it’s clear that my Hip-Flexors are struggling – probably from years of being in the forward-cycling position. Stretching advised and another, longer video required, side on and frontal to see if we can change anything else that needs to be changed.
The swim aspect of this conversation was interesting. Again a video needed to identify issues – and there were plenty! As advised by him post-video and by good friend Marcus Nichols from Pink Sock Coaching who took the video the good news is that I was doing alot wrong so major improvements could be made. I did a CSS swim test to see where I was as far as swim fitness was concerned and I had made major improvements since the last time I did a test over a year ago. That with the improvements needed after the analysis would make me a pretty quick swimmer – one day perhaps!
The struggle was always going to convince the new coach of my need for continual training each day as described in my last blog – but he did talk me round to having Mondays off. So far I’ve stuck to it and it’s safe to say I haven’t had a mental breakdown so far!
Since this visit to see the new coach he’s been sending me regular comments via Whatsapp, we’ve been chatting weekly (usually on a Monday) and I’m already starting to see improvements in my run & swim technique and like I said my biking’s coming on nicely as well so fingers crossed the angle of improvement keeps going into next year.
Writing this I’m now just about to go on our postponed Honeymoon from March to St Lucia. We’ve taken a COVID test and it’s come back negative to comply with their travel protocol and we’re off on Monday. Typically we’ve picked a hotel where there are activities every day from Scuba Diving to Parasailing, to Mountain Biking, to Trail Running and somehow we’ve signed up to an Open Water Mile Swim competition while we’re there too.
Some people think we weird – I don’t mind, I guess we’re all a bit weird in our own idiosyncrasies anyway.
