Well it does seem a bit late to be updating my blog now, after most of this year's racing is done and dusted but the real reason I haven't been keeping things up to date is the fact that juggling a job, and training 20+ hours a week in seeking my goal of Kona this year has left very little in the way of free time for blogging!
No excuses. The trophy cabinet is overflowing, its been another amazing season, almost beyond what I thought was possible and yet my 2 biggest races for the year are still ahead of me:
Firstly, the ITU standard distance Worlds, on Sunday in Hyde Park, and then of course the big one, Kona itself on 12th October, one month from tomorrow.
I have a huge number of people to thank for getting me here in such good physical and mental shape - Jennie Wilson at JWSportstherapy, Brendon Wylde at the Sporting Brain, and of course Speedo, Powerbar, CompressportUK, Profeet, Freespeed, and Sancture Sportifs, who have all helped me this year and whose products I can absolutely wholeheartedly recommend. Without them i'd be slower, more broken, and very hungry!!
I am very proud to be appearing in the current issue 291 of 220 - see the pic below - with Chrissie Wellington. I am pleased to say it was a complete blast and a real pleasure doing this photoshoot and the interview, in which she really did give me the 'no holds barred' view of what to do to prepare for Kona, and how to celebrate afterwards!
No excuses. The trophy cabinet is overflowing, its been another amazing season, almost beyond what I thought was possible and yet my 2 biggest races for the year are still ahead of me:
Firstly, the ITU standard distance Worlds, on Sunday in Hyde Park, and then of course the big one, Kona itself on 12th October, one month from tomorrow.
I have a huge number of people to thank for getting me here in such good physical and mental shape - Jennie Wilson at JWSportstherapy, Brendon Wylde at the Sporting Brain, and of course Speedo, Powerbar, CompressportUK, Profeet, Freespeed, and Sancture Sportifs, who have all helped me this year and whose products I can absolutely wholeheartedly recommend. Without them i'd be slower, more broken, and very hungry!!
I am very proud to be appearing in the current issue 291 of 220 - see the pic below - with Chrissie Wellington. I am pleased to say it was a complete blast and a real pleasure doing this photoshoot and the interview, in which she really did give me the 'no holds barred' view of what to do to prepare for Kona, and how to celebrate afterwards!
I have been basically training 4 days a week and working 3 days ever since December 2nd 2012 in order to achieve my goals for the year which were:
1. Qualify for Kona
2. Complete Abu Dhabi long course
3. Arrive at the start fit and complete 3 ironman distance
races in a year (IMSA, Roth and Hawaii) –
a. podium in Age at Roth if
things go well,
Well so far, Abu Dhabi was an AG win and second overall, South Africa went to plan in 10:37, apart from a puncture, but I still got 2nd and the slot, followed by an AG win at Roth in 10:28 and a few AG wins along the way just to keep the record looking strong (Berlin 70.3, Swashbuckler, and Vitruvian). A little blip was Wiesbaden 70.3 where I only managed 6th in Age, which was the kick I needed to work a bit harder through August.
And here we are, the hard work is done, now its about keeping the body together to the start line, believing in the plan, and just enjoying the racing. That is the one thing that I think I won't have a problem with. I have been thinking long and hard about whether to carry on after this season (before you ask, I'm still undecided) but the one thing that doesn't ever wear thin is my love for racing. If you could race without all the hard work and preparation, I'd do it! But right now, I know I need to give my best to this season and then rest, properly, before I think about next year. So I have entered nothing, made no commitments, and will listen to my body and see how I feel.
For the tale of two opposite World Championships (one short, freezing cold and slippery, the other very much the epic, hot, windy painfest in the Lava Fields of Kona) you will have to tune in again in a couple of days....
One last piccy to remind myself of the painface - this one was fixed for most of the Roth marathon:
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