One month to go – self assessment!

Time to reflect, recharge, refocus perhaps, re-engerise, basically do lots of things beginning with ‘re___’, and before you even think of it – I’m not going to retreat, resign or even recant … this time next month to the very hour I will be an Ironman, I will have crossed that line, I will go down the finishing chute all smiles to the crowds be it fast or slow.

At times i feel i’m ready to do it right here right now, other times it puts the fear of god in me, but i need to do this now, and get the last 6 months, nay 12 months of thinking about this one event over and done with. Heck the birth of my kids were all only nine months in the making, and other than a couple of minutes at the start i wasn’t involved too much along the way. With IMDE08, I’ve had a constant presence on my shoulder -

• when I’m not training, I’m thinking about training,
• when I’m not thinking about training, I’m recovering from training
• when I’m not recovering from training, I’m wishing i was training
• when I’m not wishing i was training, I’m training ….

I want to finish now this chapter in my life – hopefully successfully, and then see what i want to do next!

Swim - has come on a good bit this year. The early morning swims – up at 6:30am – have worked and i’m swimming stronger and hopefully with better technique. Plenty of room still for improvement of course, and at this stage in proceedings the furthest I’ve actually swam in one go is about 2.25 – 2.5 km whilst in Lanzarote last week. 1500m in the Barrow last week wasn’t a problem, in fact i went way better than i expected (current a big factor). More work required and I plan to get a number of sea sessions in next week whilst on holidays again(!) in Spain. The only nagging fly in the ointment here at this time is if the race day itself is warm and the Organizers decree that its a non-wet suit swim. Man that will be a bummer to me and the other poor swimmers in the race. Swimming with the wet suit on at least ensures you won’t drown and conceivably you can roll on your back any time you want for a wee rest … no wet suit enforces some of that fear that water still holds for me.

=> so for the remaining 3 weeks of diminishing training, its long swims in the sea – mainly without a wet suit. Ultimately to be able to swim for some 80 mins as that will be my target time.

Bike - whilst for some the main factor in the race, this part for me has not come on as much primarily because i suppose i would have considered it my relative strength. Coming into the year I have had two successful Letapes, two stages in which I’ve got stronger as the day went on and the other entrants seemed to struggle and fall. So yes I’ve put in some hours, but i haven’t really killed myself or really focussed on improving the way i have with the swim and run legs. All things being equal, i.e. no mechanical issues from hell, I know i will be able to cycle 180 kms no matter how long it takes me. Famous last words! Recent training in Lanza was primarily focussed on the bike. Between now and IMDE-day i need to get in one or two really long (5.30+) cycles (beginning tomorrow i plan) and a couple of 3-4 hour spins, nothing special in terms of pacing. The main consideration being to get used to eating, drinking and more eating and more drinking on the bike. I’ll be on the bike for over half my day (if all goes to plan) and it’s the place to get the calories in … i need to get used to eating PowerBar bars, Powerbar gels and have some solid food as well. There’ll be plenty of food & drink available on the route – i need to make sure that

1. remember to drink and eat as often as possible
2. that all the drink and food don’t have any negative effect on me

And of course practice some puncture drills – changing tubes and the like. And say some prayers that that would be the limit of my troubles on the bike!

RUN - this was all going lovely for me … the run sessions were getting longer and longer (3hours 12 max so far) with no obvious problems, the intense sessions were getting faster and faster (new pBs for my usual training route) … but then came TriAthy and the attack of the killer stitches. I’ve not has the pleasure of the side stitch for many a year at this stage, and certainly none in my limited career as a triathlete. So where did this come out of last week on the 10km run leg?? I never got beyond second gear the whole way around. I actually had to stop 4 or 5 times as the stitch was that bad. After a couple of seconds it would fade, but invariably return some minutes later if/when i stepped on the gas. The legs were fine – the lungs were fine, but this little fecker announced himself big time.

So of course this now has me worried … what’s the cause ? The web doesn’t tell me mich, and thinking back i reckon some of the problem may be coming from lack of liquids – in particular I took two Gels on the bike leg, and only some 500 ml of water. I should have had 500 for each of the two gels, never mind any ongoing drink that i would take in the course of the cycle. I had the water on the bike, but simply didn’t drink it. That’s certainly one thing to ensure … but after that ?

Since the stitch day in Athy, I’ve ran twice without any similar symptoms … time will tell. So for the coming 4 weeks I’ve a couple of long runs, but nothing too long planned – the main mileage has been done at this stage. Luckily enough I’m on holidays for two weeks with the family soon, and so should be able to get some extra runs in rather than a normal working week. The sessions with the lads at work in particular – Colin, Declan, Damian, Dave none of which work with me any more !!! – has brought me on and helped me shave minutes off my time for our particular route HERE . I’m confident i can do a good marathon leg, but who knows until i get into it what state the mind and body will be after 7-8 hours of work already …

CONCLUSION: I’m nearly there, 4 weeks more to go … two good weeks of training gradually ramping down the volume and then the intensity and then its rest up, travel to site and bingo. I think I’m good to go – no injuries to speak off, the right wrist seems okay … what the hell, what else would I do!