The road ahead...

So, the Ironman season is officially over. Hawaii is already winging it's way into yesterday and as Kona comes to a close and the brilliant competing athletes rest their weary bodies I bet they're already thinking about the next one, the next step, the next Kona.

Did I want to be there? Yes, absolutely. Do I want to go there? Yes absolutely. Do I want to race there? If you'd asked me that last year I'd have said YES. Ask me that today and I'm happy to say no. I loved it as a spectator last night/this morning, even if it was from the luxury of our sitting room and not in the surroundings of palm trees and white sand. I'll always have a special spot for Ironman, it's taught me way too much about myself to ever turn my back on the incredible journey that I traveled while I was doing it. But I'm not hungry enough for that feeling to want to do another year. Don't get me wrong, I'm not utterly convinced that I'll find it easy to have hung up my Ironman shoes once Winter's out of the way and Tom's gearing up for Lanza, but the truth will out me when that time comes.

Watching our mates out there and our very own incredible Master Graves made me feel enormously proud, but I'm happy to be going into the next season of Ironman as a spectator. I can't wait to be holding the coats for Tom and our mates Sam & Dom. Actually one thing I know I'll miss is the feeling you get when you cross an Ironman line. I don't think any race can ever come close to that feeling of being completely and totally utterly spent, that's what I'll miss. But for now I'm happy to leave my IM journey and move on.

So, to all those who fought in the Ironman fields of various countries to earn those highly sought after Hawaii places, well done, I truly hope you loved every minute of it (except for the painful bits which you'll forget after a few beers and a round of chips). I hope we get to taste the Kona feeling in 2010, for me it'll be by the side of the road but hopefully for Tom it'll be out there on those lava fields.

Here's to a Winter of success. Recover strong you Hawaii Ironmen, you're all legends.

As for little me and training, I'm really enjoying the variation, especially in my running. It's nice to only have a 50min session to do instead of a 7hr and 50min session so I think I'm going to enjoy the new challenges of seeing how fast I can get my little legs to turn over. Running Leeds parkrun this week saw a 41sec improvement from two weeks ago when I ran 21:46 to yesterdays 21:05, the time is on it's way down, I like it.

I'm also just about to enter into week four of giving up caffeine, chocolate, biscuits, crisps and sweets etc and I've found it remarkably easy. I'm looking forward to going back to the 'one treat a week' thing though, a girl can't live without chocolate!! So, I'm just about to pull on the old trainers and skip (actually probably bimble after such a late night) onto the streets of Leeds for a run in the sun.

Have a great week.

Daily pix still here and here.

H. x