Since my last post, there’s been more of the same going on in my life really… with maybe a couple of new things….. but we’ll save that for now ;-)
I’ve been as A LOT recently how my training has been going and its been difficult to say really. To my delight, my running continues in an upward trend. For the first time ever, I genuinely feel that a 15:xx 5k time is possible at my test race…. The Bushy Park 5k (www.bptt.net). This would mark a MASSIVE milestone for me and my running and to be hitting this so early this year as well, I hope, bodes well for my running throughout 2007. My target of a sub 1:15 half marathon on a 70.3 race would be far more realistic if this kind of pace were possible. We’ll know come this weekend as I plan to run it again. My last result of 16:19 was a PB, but I KNOW (my training data shows it) I’m running faster now, than I was back then. 19seconds is a big jump to make, but going on last weekends race (Milton Keynes Winter Duathlon) my ability to run this fast is definitely there….. I’ll let you know how I get one.
On the subject of the MK Duathlon, it was GREAT to get out and race again. There were some really good other chaps there racing (some Olympic hopeful Loughborough Performance Plan lads) who I’ve raced a little before. It was a great opportunity to gauge myself against them again and also compare my fitness and speed to this time last year. Being able to track improvements (or not if that’s the case) and make changes is imperative to me achieving my goals, so races like this act as great “yard sticks” for this. In a nutshell (well I’ll try to anyway Lol) I felt great on the first run, and was much faster than last year, hanging onto the Loughborough lads too. I rode hard, which was the plan as I’ve not been getting enough of this recently (and now is the time to be ramping it up for California) and came off the bike in FIRST, however the worlds most AMATURE transition then ensued… let me explain…. The bike was 12 laps and whilst Big-Cow (the race organisers) do everything they can to make sure people get this right, in the heat of “battle” the brain often ceases to function properly. I found myself passing the end of each lap, clicking my counter and within about 15 seconds asking myself “….did I click that lap?.....” this resulted in me starting what I thought was my last lap only to look behind me and see Dan and Mark heading into transition to start the run!!! Without thinking I jumped off my bike (still wearing my pyro-platforms) leaped through the cones into transition through my bike wherever I could and tried to pull off the pyro’s… completely missing out on the whole advantage of wearing them in the first place (i.e. FASTER transitions off the bike!). I set off on the run now only a couple of meters in front of 2nd & 3rd instead of 10-20 seconds… but something STILL wasn’t quite right…. I soon realised I forgotten one other thing in my comedy transition… my HELMET…. I was about 30m into the run and STILL WEARING IT!!! What a CLOWN ha ha! I threw it down to one side and carried on, but Dan was now breathing down my neck and my legs were still not enjoying the change back to running (a good sign that I need to start my Brick sessions ASAP). H passed my and my legs didn’t want to respond. The remainder of the final 4k run saw me gradually feel better as I went , but the early damage had been done and I came home, feeling strong, but down in 3rd.
All in all it was a really good session and very encouraging for me. To feel this good (personally) this early in the year bodes well and if I can really nail the next 4 weeks leading up to California, I genuinely feel like my targets for this race are possible.
I’ve had to re-asses my priorities again and keep things in check recently. When targets seam far away, it can be easy to let things in the present slip just a little. Over time this “just a little” soon adds up to A LOT and particularly with regards to my swimming, I’ve not been focussed enough recently. As this is my biggest weakness, this is not good and so new weekly targets and focus are being brought back into my training to ensure I get back to where I need to be. 5-6 LONG swims a week are going to be a MINIMUM for the next 4 weeks leading to California. Doing this, I know a decent (for me) swim is possible and with my bike and run targets now feeling realistic this will put exactly where I want to be when I cross the line.
That’s all for now. Hope you’re enjoying doing whatever it is you do.
God bless
