Another 6 weeks has past and those boxes are being ticked. The last time I wrote on this blog was just into the new year where I was looking back at 2019 and into 2020 with a plan (kind of)!
A few weeks later and it’s all being mapped out in front of me – it’s going to be a year to remember that’s for sure.
First things first – March.
As soon as we enter March it’s straight off to Las Vegas to get Married to my Rock – Suzy.
We’ve been planning this for what feels like an eternity, apparently we were supposed to do this last May but I entered Majorca 70.3 instead! Suzy reminds me of this fact occasionally but I literally cannot recall the conversation where I said “Nah – I’d rather do a 70.3 than get married”. The USA trip starts in Las Vegas where we intend to get married by Elvis (who else) and then it’s off to see the sights – as many as we can fit in before heading to Los Angeles a few days later and then head back home. Only a week but it’s going to be pretty amazing. Being the person I am I have been looking at Swimming Pools, suggested Run & Bike routes and Bike Hire in Vegas and it’s a case of fitting it in wherever possible. If we don’t get a chance then so be it but I’m sure I’ll feel guilty not doing anything so I’m cramming in a few extra sessions in the next few weeks to get that TSS and Fatigue right up there so having a week off is a good thing.
Back to the grind after that for a couple of weeks and then the wedding party at a local hotel to celebrate with friends and family our wedding. As we’re doing this Las Vegas thing on our own we thought it would be a great idea to bring Las Vegas to our friends so we’ve got some gambling tables to be set up and a Las Vegas theme throughout the venue so that should be fun.
Then off on our honeymoon to the Caribbean for a week. The hotel has a gym before you ask and yes there is bike hire there are run routes available. Being the Caribbean there’s plenty of open water to get some swim sets done too! But mainly I’m sure it’ll be all about relaxing and drinking rum.
Into April and then the racing season begins. All that training has to pay off somehow and the events come thick and fast. I’m sure there’ll be a few Cycling Road Races thrown in just to make me realise how crap I am and then I’ll concentrate on the first “A-Race” – Nottingham Outlaw Half in Mid-May. In fairness considering the distances I am currently doing in training I’m ready to take on a half-distance event now but I doubt there’ll be a PB. It’s good though as I know I can complete that distance whereas many people do nowhere near that distance before competing. I suppose in the same way I’ll never complete an Ironman in training.
Late May sees us (Danny Sayer, Me & Katie Garrity) going back to Samorin in Slovakia for the Challenge Championships to go at least one better and get on that podium for the 70.3 Mixed Relay Champs. The newly appointed “Collins Cup” for Pro Triathletes has been announced to take place at Samorin on the same weekend so that’s an added bonus.
Before I know it it’ll be July and Challenge Roth would’ve crept up on me. This is 2nd attempt and long distance in one day. I can’t really include Long Course Weekend in Majorca last year as it was over 3 days but at least I can gauge my pacing a bit better than in Barcelona and Roth will be that test. Local hero Joe Skipper has just announced that he’s doing it too – I’m sure it’ll be several hours before I finish after him – he’ll be eyeing up the top spot where I’ll be just looking to get round before blowing up spectacularly! I do have that 12:30hrs marker that I set in Barcelona and it’s very clear that I can make up bucket loads of time in all 4 disciplines (including transition) to make this memorable and put that “Barcelona Ghost” to rest.
Beyond Roth there’s a blank few months – to go back to Road Racing? Time Trialling? Running Races? A few local Olympic or Sprint Tris? Who knows. I guess it all depends on whether I qualify for a GB place in the World Aquabike Champs in Almere in September. If I do then it’s all about fine-tuning that bike split (full distance). If I don’t then it’s all just a bit of fun (it should all be fun really) leading up to the last event – Challenge Majorca (Paguera) in October.
No idea beyond that!
Back to the present day and it’s train, train, train.
Mondays are usually just a steady 3k swim at around IM pace. Broken up, of course, into bitesize segments so I don’t get bored in that ever-decreasing in size 20m pool at my local gym.
Tuesdays have turned into a Brick session just by coincidence. In the mornings I do a strength & conditioning session where I move the reps and sets around just to keep my body guessing. In the afternoon straight after work it’s a V02 session (of sorts) for an hour then onto a treadmill for a 60-min steady run. No pace increases, just the basic run to get some kind of recovery in those legs.
Wednesdays mornings are usually another 3k swim set, this time concentrating on strength so using the Pull Buoy or paddles to get the upper body going a bit more. The evening just consists of a “pot luck” session on Zwift. Whatever floats my boat really but nothing more than an hour.
Thursdays are the same as Tuesdays – strength & conditioning in the morning and a brick session in the evening. The bike session concentrates more on tempo or under/overs and the run is a interval based session. Currently it’s tempo intervals about 1-2k with a small rest between. Nothing ultra fast at the moment but it’ll pick up soon into 800m or 400m blasts.
Friday recently is another swim set but should (and I use that term loosely) be a Rest Day.
Saturday is a long run and Sunday is a long bike. At the moment it’s weather dependent with the bike and the last 2 weekends have been lost due to high winds and rain. This weekend doesn’t look great either! Instead I’m on Zwift for 2hrs mixing it up a bit to stave off the boredom with V02’s, Thresholds and steady state riding – whatever I feel like really.
As the this blog title suggests I like the training aspect of this sport – it gives me focus each day and drives me towards my goals – the events ahead this year.
It’s great that I have events on the horizon but even if I didn’t I’m sure I’ll still train just as hard!
As for Suzy this year – very similar to me regarding events. Outlaw full in Nottingham at the end of July. Paguera in October. She’s already qualified for Almere in September.
Her training has taken a knock recently as she twisted her ankle immediately after a Cross Country run, jogging back to the HQ of all things! After several days off due to a black ankle she’s then had laser eye surgery and that has out her out for two weeks. Just when she was stringing a couple of sessions together she’s currently suffering from a cold and is bed-ridden. Things come in threes….apparently!
Anyway – back to the grind!
NB: Just as a suggestion. If anyone wants me to write on here about certain triathlon-based subjects just let me know 🙂