Like most men out there, I’ve been given out to many times by my wife for starting a project, getting about half way through it and the enthusiasm slowly wanes as something else comes along. I’m very task orientated, I like to have plans, goals and targets and it’s not my fault if the mind wanders!

Well, my TriAthy training is going a little like that, but in a good way. Since work has calmed down, I’ve got my ducks in a row so to speak and things have progressed to a point where I’m thinking ‘What next?’. That’s not to say I’m treating the Olympic distance with anything but respect, I still have to string the three disciplines together, I still have to get out in the open water & get the wetsuit actually wet and I still have to practice transition under something resembling race conditions.

But training is going well, I’m out 6 times a week now and just facing into my biggest week of effort before I think about tapering things down before race day. Since my last update I’ve brought my running up to distance with a couple of 10k runs and no ill effects with the achilles. I’ve now got many many miles in the legs on the bike and I’m keeping the swimming going having reached the distance in the pool long ago.

In the back of my mind though, the injuries occasionally still linger. Having been out for so long I’m finding it difficult to trust myself to push on with longer distances or faster efforts. Its strange to move in one way or the other, expect to feel a pain that’s been there for so long but have nothing appear – every session on the feet is delayed while I run through the demons in my mind telling me that I’m too sore to go out, but actually I’m not.

Last Saturday saw me line up at parkrun for the first time in nearly a year, I was never the fastest runner, but this time around was an opportunity to set a pace and see where it took me. Wind and rain buffeted the 600 or more starters and I was delighted with my 26minute finish, I’ve only broken 25 minutes once, the next goal is to make that mark fall even further.

I got an email during the week that the Belpark Triathlon Club gear was on its way! I haven’t managed to get out training much with Belpark so far this season with work and family life getting in the way, but I’m looking forward to wearing my stuff when it arrives. I’m looking forward to being part of a club, having others cheer me on and me returning the favour to them. The support and advice we can all get from each other is invaluable in our development and I’ve found Belpark great in that regard.

The only restrictions I face now are in my mind and the only thing that will defeat them is lacing up the runners, putting on the helmet or getting into the pool. There is no better feeling than the endorphin rush when you put the key in the door when you get home and you’ve completed what you’ve set out to do. I’m definitely noticing that I’m getting stronger now, the hills on the bike are conquered in a higher gear, the recovery time from runs is measured in minutes not hours and the time in the pool is coming down. I’m not injured anymore, I just need do it.

… why was my wife rolling her eyes at me over the weekend? Well, I saw that IM70.3 was on in Mallorca this weekend, it looked great and there seemed to be plenty of Irish over for it – with a little more training I could do an Ironman couldn’t I?

Some of the Garmin Data…
30th April – Speed Intervals. Garmin Data HERE
3rd May – Enniskerry Cycle – Garmin Data HERE
6th May – 1st 10k run – Garmin Data HERE
8th May – 40k Bike Spin – Garmin Data HERE
10th May – Parkrun – Garmin Data HERE
12th May – 40k Bike Spin – Garmin Data HERE
13th May – 10k Run – Garmin Data HERE