Getting back in the saddle...

Ironman Lanzarote??? That was AGES ago!!! It's so ridiculous that Lanzarote is nothing but a distant memory fading into the ever increasing amnesiac potholes of my brain. The body and the brain is so easily fooled. In the past my one Ironman for that year has been my main focus, my 'A' race and afterwards I've felt justifiably spent for quite a while. (I'm just going to add here that no, I don't think I'm superwoman or that Lanza hasn't taken a lot out of me and also that I'm sure I'm not completely recovered.) However, due to the increase in training volume in the lead up to Lanza I also feel my body has been able to soak up the training and allowed me to recover quicker than in the past. My main point however is just how easy it is to fool your brain. For example:
Pre-Ironman = train...hard.
Ironman = race...hard.
Post-Ironman = eat your weight in chocolate/sleep for England and refuse to get on your bike for quite a while...hard.

Yet, here I am full of the joys of spring, enjoying my training sessions and never having to motivate myself to get out of the door. I've cheated my brain, wonderful! It's going to go into melt down post Switzerland isn't it?! And I'll be found in a heap on a sun lounger surrounded by a broken bike, shredded trainers & empty Thornton's Chocolate boxes!!!

Sessions aren't intense (except a little elevation in heart rate after today's ride, see above pic...I'll get to that!) But I'm using them as active recovery. This week has seen 18km of easy swimming, 25miles of easy running & 167 miles of riding. I'm really looking forward to Switzerland whatever the outcome.

This weekend we did two brilliant things. The first was to support our mate Greg who entered Blenheim Sprint Triathlon on Saturday (his first ever tri) and although the weather was hideous he was brilliant and loved every minute of it. Quality time with mates is second to none and we had a brilliant time, thanks guys.

Then today Tom & I went out for a 5hr ride with our mate Alistair Brownlee (see above pic.) For those who don't know of him, this time last week he was bathing in the glory of winning the second International World Championship Series in Madrid, beating the best triathletes in the world and showing them all what hardy Yorkshire stuff he's made of. Tom's a far better rider than me, Al's a far better rider than Tom...now do the maths!! (Jevon, you'd have been proud, no toys out of the pram from me today, I was on it :) Al was after an easy ride but so was I and somehow the two don't quite seem to match! However, he's fantastic at gauging pace & I enjoyed hearing all about Madrid and what it's like on the elite circuit, his training & life in general so the ride wasn't a lung buster for me, except when we got to anything remotely hilly & in a bid to stick to Tom & Al's wheels I had to hope my heart wasn't going to burst out of my chest! I got a great interval session out of today's ride and spent quality time with my husband and the best triathlete in the world, riding in the remote and beautiful hills of Yorkshire, and it's not often that you can do that. Al's one of the most grounded, hard working, talented and very personable lads you could meet. You wouldn't think that such a young, skinny lad from Yorkshire has the ability to tear the legs off any triathlete in the world! I just love excellence, especially in excellent people :)

Time to sign off now and get my well earned zzzz's in. Just want to wish Lizzie Lou Lou and Martin good luck for their imminent arrival (due on Tuesday) can't wait to see you guys, hope it all goes well. And of course to give you Week Eighteen in pix, as random as ever :)

I think it's time we were all excellent...

"Excellence is not a skill, it's an attitude." Ralph Marston

H. x