Feeling fit fit fit...

I'll keep this short as I really should be doing some work... With a touch over three weeks to go until The Outlaw Iron-distance triathlon I find myself in the shape of my life, significantly stronger, fitter and (more importantly) less tired than the same time before Ironman Switzerland 2009 where I set my PB of 9.28... BUT... and this is a BIG BUT... there are still a touch over three weeks to go... too many to taper, yet plenty of time to over-cook things and arrive in Nottingham tired and worn-out.

This Saturday just gone I raced at Ripon Olympic Triathlon and despite the distance being a little fast for my short stumpy legs I ran through to 7th overall out of 700 finishers, Sunday morning saw six hilly hours in the saddle with Ady and Adam and then later that day Adam and I popped out for a 20 mile run with 16 very conversational miles thrown in at 7.10 pace, Monday morning I was in the pool for some hard interval work, Monday evening a chilled out seven mile run with H and then on Tuesday my mate Guy and I rode 80 miles of the Outlaw bike course including two laps of the main loop riding completely draft legal (minimum 15 metres wheel to wheel) and VERY comfortably in 2:37:17 for 58.8 miles (4:59:41 pace for 112) followed by a relaxed first ten miles of the run course in 75 minutes... apart from Ripon, where it was a max race effort, the rest of the sessions have all been comfortably within me. I can honestly say I'm in the shape of my life... a good place to be... a challenging place to be this far out of an 'A' race though. Ideally The Outlaw would ideally be a week earlier, the tough sessions would be over and the taper could start... there's just a little bit more to do though...

Today has been a complete leg rest day with just a short and very easy swim (10 x 150 easy off 3:30) with Hels and Ove, and tomorrow will be similar except with an open water swim and perhaps a short spin on the bike. Sunday I'll be on the start line of my first and last 100 mile cycling time trial, a ten mile Ironman target-pace run off the back of it will give me a chance to practice race-day nutrition.

Then, it'll be time to drop the volume, up the intensity and sharpen up for one final 140.6 miles of swim, bike & run.

I'm loving every moment but cannot wait to draw a line under my triathlon career, and move on to the next exciting chapter in the wonderful thing we call life...

T