It’s been nearly two weeks since my last blog, I could make up some kind of a story to say it was my training schedule being too big, or work commitments, or I could just blame it on being just physically tired.
All have a bearing on my physical state right now but the truth is I’m mentally fragile….about it all.
The goal was always Barcelona, come tomorrow it’s just 4 weeks away. It’s been over a year before the decision was made and these last few sessions are taking their toll on me and I’ve found myself, this week especially, to have missed a couple of sessions which I have never done since the training program, mesocycles, macrocycle were written. All I can fall back on is that the pretty much every session was nailed in the past few months but missing sessions recently has added to the adverse effect.
The weekly TSS (Training Peaks Geeks will know what I mean) has averaged 700-900 each week which is pretty high. If you’re used to it then that’s ok but I’m used to one discipline and that max’s out at 500w on very busy weeks. The chronic effect of high training stresses have almost broken me. I’ve luckily avoided major injuries, looking back there were some worries but it seems I’ve missed the “showstoppers”….”phew”!
But the volume of training has made me tired almost all-day every day. I’ve put a smile on my face but it’s superficial, it’s a complete contradiction but there has been a couple of occasions where I’ve thought “sod it” and contemplated throwing in the towel…albeit briefly. Barcelona is on the horizon and the planets are starting to align for October 7th but here I am in early September saying “enough is enough”.
I won’t give in, I’ve invested too much time into this. So much support from the most unlikeliest people so I owe it to them, to myself, to see this through. “Winners never quit & quitters never win” kinda sticks in my brain. There’s no actual “win” as such – just getting to Callela to the start line in the best condition I can be will be the win in my eyes. Whatever happens on race day will be…..
I owe it to my partner in crime – Suzy. She’s been supportive in all my decisions, good or bad. We’ve disagreed on certain aspects of my training & racing but she’s been amazing and I don’t think I could’ve done all this without her.
I watched a clip from Ruseel Kane – one of my favourite comedians about Social Media – how people write statuses etc. on how great things are, how wonderful their life is etc. but no-one writes how they struggle occasionally, unless it comes with some kind of humour. No one wants to read how someone struggles through life, in a twisted way writing it on Social Media has been seen as a “scream for help” or a form of affirmation or acknowledgement. Maybe it is for some people. For me it’s different.
This blog has served me as a release of the thoughts and processes going though my head and verbalising it (in writing) in order for me to make sense of it. Adding to this people I know have been reading it as it helps with their thought processes in their sports’ goals. It has also served to help prospective Ironman debutants to understand the mental and physical requirements for this event which start a year ahead, not a few months in advance.
Anyway…..the week I missed!….
The race at the end of the week was at St.Neots. It was an Olympic “Standard” distance event which Suzy was a race referee so I decided to enter the race as she was travelling there anyway. I didn’t actually know but this was a ITU Qualifying event for people to qualify to wear the GBR colours so alot of the big-boys turned up. Racking my bike I realised the calibre of the competition as all the other bikes were pretty aero and expensive. I had to concentrate on my own race-plan but I couldn’t help think about the company I was keeping!
The swim was an open water swim so I was pretty happy to don my “comfort blanket” wetsuit. The gun went off and I was into my stride and after a few minutes of “brain freeze” in the cold river water I warmed up a bit and managed to find a small group to keep me company around the 1500m swim course. I didn’t know this until after the event but I recorded my fastest swim time at under 30-minutes.
The transition was fairly uneventful, the usual problem of trying to get out of my wetsuit but within a short amount of time onto the bike. As with all triathlons this year I wasn’t passed by anybody on the bike and managed to scalp quite a few guys wearing GB trisuits, the two lap bike leg was definitely a game of two halfs – the first lap was me sticking to my game plan and hitting the numbers, then just after the 2nd lap started I was joined by some guy, once I had passed him, who decided to sit on my back wheel from then on. At one point I freewheeled for over a minute and he still sat there! Then I kicked, just like you would in a road race and he stuck to me like glue…right up until 200metres from transition where he rode past me just before the dismount line.
Suzy was at the dismount line as referee and I said the guy in front has drafted me for half the bike leg – she said afterwards I didn’t look happy. Looking back at my race data you can see where the guy jumped onto my wheel as my power was no longer smooth – it was very “go hard and then freewheel” kind of pace which pretty much screwed up my bike time by about 3 minutes on the 2nd lap 🙁
Onto the run and my legs seriously didn’t want to work, I felt like I was shuffling not running and the fast boys were coming past me, already on their 2nd or 3rd lap of the 4-lap run course as if I was standing still. On the 2nd lap I started to come good and started picking off people in front of me despite me promising to myself before the race I would stick to 5-minute k’s I started running at 4:30’s towards the end.
I came in at 2:30:27, pretty close to my target 2:30 time. The fact the bike leg was 3-miles long and I lost quite a bit of time on the 2nd lap I was happy I had produced a respectable time. Considering I was 30 minutes off the winner really does show the class I was competing with so I was happy to pick up a top-20 in the bike leg!
Earlier in the week I rode with Suzy, Sarah and Chris on Bank Holiday Monday for 80+ miles to tick the mileage box so-to-speak. We headed off to Framlingham in the hunt for the new Paddy & Scotts coffee house but no luck so we defaulted to the usual 221B (I think it’s called) in the centre of Framlingham before taking advantage of a tailwind and flying home.
Tuesday was massage day so a rest day – thankfully.
Wednesday saw a Triathlon in effect, a swim before work and then a bike, then brick run afterwards. All in the safety of Bannatynes.
Thursday started with a light hour of steady riding before work. And it finished with my longest road run so far – a 26km run around the lanes of south Lowestoft, Kessingland and Gisleham. In fairness I was shot to bits after that and I did wonder how I would string another 16km on top of that AND after the swim & bike in just a few weeks’ time.
Friday was another day off as we were travelling to London to watch Swan Lake at the London Coliseum – trying to add a bit of normality to our triathlon-busy lives.
Saturday morning saw us as Park Run Tourists at Mile End in London. We jogged to the Park Run from the hotel – some 2.7 miles, did the Run and then back again, just in time to kill the “all you can eat” breakfast in the hotel – result! Back to Norwich on the train to collect the car and then en route to St Neots for the Triathlon the next day, stopping at Nuffields in Cambridge on the way for a WattBike “opener” session and a steam/sauna/spa relax.
Training Peaks Geeks Time
15:22hrs training time 1046TSS
Swim 4300m Bike 286km Run 55km
Fitness 122. Fatigue 150. Form -18.
Next week….
Well the “next week” has almost come to an end – but I will blog about it possibly Monday or Tuesday next week. Tomorrow sees a double event day. The Waveney Autumn Triathlon – where I did my first ever Tri 4 years ago (yesterday actually) and then onto the Scores Running Race in Lowestoft – a first for me. Several people have told me to be careful on the steps so close to Barcelona so I will cruise round…..ish!