ups and downs!

Yet again it seems that I wrote an update a couple of weeks ago, only to realise it’s actually been a couple of months. After a good winter of training, everything has gone a bit pear shaped. I’d had a winter injury free, which was obviously tempting fate. I’d been completely long runs holding very respectable pace and was hoping for a sub 1:30 at the Fleet half marathon at the very least. Obviously that didn’t go to plan otherwise I would not be sharing this woeful tale. I was looking on target until 6 miles, when I started have stomach issues. I can only blame my step mum’s cooking and eating late the night before, for the loo stops. From then on, my legs and brain were not on the same wave length. Despite wanting to run fast, my legs were having none of it. About 10 miles in I started getting ITB and knee pain, so eased back the pace completely, so be able to recover quickly and put in a quality week of training afterwards. I finished only just in front of an Army captain, running in full kit with 20lb pack. From then onwards I seem to have niggle after niggle. Maybe I headed back into running too quickly, maybe not enough stretching or massage, new shoes or maybe even the fact I was taking almost an illegal amount of painkillers as I’d just had my braces tightened, but a couple of weeks later I then developed shin pain. So I’ve now had a couple of week of training, free from running as that seems to have done the trick. Yesterday I managed my first run in 3 weeks, 20 minutes, so slow I was almost walking! But with no repercussions.

So unfortunately I had to pull out of today’s Marshman Triathlon. I raced and won the Marshman Plus event last year – as it’s only an hour away, it seemed like an ideal season opener back in January and a good way to gauge my fitness, ready for the build to Ironman Wales. Plus for a local event it was well organised. My Quintana Roo CD 0.1 did get a punishing today though with my first open 25 Mile TT for two years. Last year I didn’t do any time trialling and felt I lacked the bike speed, I considered my strength. So at least a drop in run volume is allowing me to concentrate on my biking for a bit. Today wasn’t pretty. I left my power tap unit in the kitchen, so rode blind and spectacularly blew up in the last couple of miles. Despite this and a change of course due to road works, rubbish road surface and lots slippery wet roundabouts from early morning down pours, I came ridiculously close to setting a new PB for the distance. My coach also thinks it is now warm enough for sea swimming – I’ll beg to differ. First sea swim is set for tomorrow night. Personally I’m hoping that the wind picks up and we have 10 feet of chop. I’m never really a fan of sea swimming in the murky waters in the UK, especially not when it’s frigging cold.

Other things that have been happening – I’m well into my first master’s degree module. After a slow start with essay writing I seemed to have been able to dig out some study skills that were hidden after completing my undergraduate degree 7 years ago. Sometime I wonder why I even though doing a part time master’s alongside full time working (including 1 hour each way commute) and Ironman training was sensible. But it’s working out, I just have to be strict with myself after weekend training and knuckle down to work. Probably more importantly, more exciting and I’ll get in trouble for not putting this at the top. I got engaged!! Simon asked me out of the blue on his Birthday – no excuses to forget the date! So mostly despite the lows and stresses over the past couple of months I’ve been walking around with a big smile on my face and a glittery ring on my finger. No date set yet, likely to be next summer, but I’ve already been banned by my family from getting married in Hawaii though. And it’ll come to no surprise to those that know my fiancé Simon, from The Tri Store in Eastbourne that he’s hoping to be able to wear shorts!