The last post ended with the release from Hospital on good behaviour and me feeling 100%. Although the Docs had given me the all-clear and throughout my stay I was absolutely itching to Tri (!) again. I couldn't wait for another go - to get back into training. The 2014 Outlaw was to be the first Long Distance race and I wasn't sure if I'd feel inclined to do another, but I enjoyed the training SOOOO much. I was hungry for another go.
Some readers may see that as my having 'un-finished business' as such, but I'm absolutely happy with the effort and performance that I put in, and that the reason for the DNF I had very little influence over. After all, the Docs just couldn't attribute it to one specific cause. No, Outlaw 2014 is truly over and done with. 2015 is completely new. A re-load, not a repeat!
I had the week in Poltins .... sry, hospital, then another week of ... er ... working from home (I wasn't allowed to drive for a week due to the Angiogram) and a few weeks more of drug-taking to thin the blood for a while. During this time I really chilled out, chatted with Senior Management (the Missus as Managing Director, Daughter as Entertainment Director!!) and we all felt that I should pick it up again. Like I said before, had I been advised to, I would have completely dropped Tri, but by Christ am I glad that I don't need to. Tri a not simply a sport. Its a life-style thing (for me at least). It's grabbed me and it isn't letting go just yet. So, hold your horses, the Blog continues!
So, to maintain the promise I made to the Missus back in 2013, the first half of 2014 was focussed on my training (very much appreciated), August and September were to be 100% focused on .... the new Kitchen. At least I can finish that ;)
From:
To this .... in a little over 7 weeks. Nice! Few very minor finishing touches, but I think that's finished don't you Lads?
Other than one 20 minute swim, one evening 30 minute run session and one Sunday Social road ride, I hadn't done any training until last weekend. 6-weeks straight with nothing. To be quite honest, while I was a little envious in reading so many ATCers race reports and activities over this time, I think that it did me well to almost (but not quite) forget about Tri, and it certainly helped having something different to focus on. I think that this will be a certain plan for next year - something to look forward to after the Outlaw.
The first real ride was a MTB morning at the local Single-track (somewhere I plan to spend a lot of time during the closed season. What a baptism of fire though. Only lasted one 13Km lap - I was shattered!
Swim is not much better - two morning so far the week and ..... how hard? Oh, wait, if any ATCers are reading this, the Tuesday Evening coaches sessions I take are really easy. You'll love them. ;)
So, the advent of the 2nd September at about 10:01 and I can't hit the Add To Basket button for Outlaw 2015 entries fast enough! Job done. Confirmation email received and filed (I will be double-checking this over the winter as my memory is so bloody poor I think I my mind will play tricks on me. I've just double-checked it just now actually!!). Training plan will be thunk'd about over the next weekend and roundly discussed to help slot in with the Daughters GCSE exam support over next year.
Another 5 fellow ATCers have also entered along with some racing the Relay event. This'll provide another welcome boost to moral and plenty of banter.
What too expect I hear you cry? Will, I had privately planned to train for the 2014 race and never actually do the full distances so that the race would be the farthest I had ever swum, the bike would be the longest ever ride and the run etc etc. Don't get me wrong. I had put in the training miles, just purposely not hit the full distances. So things didn't go to plan. Only problem is that this time I have some 'targets' to aim for having completed the Swim and Bike.
The main one is FINISH. That'd be nice. I will finish this time, and finish with a smile on my frontage too.
Second one is to provide some inspiration to anyone who thinks that a set-back is a bad thing. No, its good. Its something to be used as a spring-board onto good things. Think positive!
Third ..... OK, swim time of sub 1:15, bike of sub 6hrs and run more than 300m ;) That'll do for now..... and reasonable I think.
Plan over the winter ...... HIT THE BIKE mostly, and certainly to have a full winter of consistent running. That'll be a novelty! The training plan will be mostly based on the last one I did as it seemed to fit in with home and work quite well, with the exception of stretching the distances a little earlier in the schedule so that I can get in more long O/W swims and bike. Run was (!) working well towards race-day, so I'll stick with that schedule / distance routine of multiple 12-ish milers.
Later people!
W.
