7 Jan - 13 Jan

Swim

 2 sessions

Time: 2:00.00

Distance: 5, 400 m

Run

 3 sessions

Time: 2:08.50

Distance: 18.8 miles

Run 1 - 6 miles, 38.55
Run 2 - 4.1 miles, 28.23

Run 3 - 8.7 miles, 1:00.32

Cycling

2 sessions

Time: 5:35.56

Distance: 101.7 miles

Bike 1 - 19.6 miles, 1:12.47
Bike 2 - 81.1 miles, 4:23.09

Week Totals

7 sessions

Time: 9:53.46

Distance: 120.8 miles

 Another solid week for me this this week.  Beginning to string together some good weeks and I'm starting to settle into a routine of training.  One of the things I've previously struggled with is, not having come from a sporting performance background, is knowing how much I can subject my body to before it just decides enough is enough.  There's a fine line between pushing yourself to do a session you don't really fancy and forcing yourself to do something because that's what the plan says, but to your own detriment.  Toeing this line is something I believe comes with experience (possibly the experience of getting it wrong!) and, without wanting to get too touchy-feely about the whole thing, knowing and understanding what your body is trying to tell you.  Those heavy legs may just be the result of a hard session catching up to you, or is it the nag of an imminent injury?  So far, I've not had any real problems with injury and I'd like it to stay that way, so for once, I'm all ears.

This week saw me bite the financial bullet and enter all my races for this year.  I'd spent a fair amount of time putting together a plan for this year, so I decided rather than wait around and try to spread the cost, I would get it over and done with and guarantee myself an entry to the races.  I'm still toying with the idea of a late season triathlon, but it may be a little difficult to fit it around my commitments with Uni and with work.  It's something I'll readdress as the season progresses.

I also booked myself a swim stroke evaluation with Fiona Ford of SwimSmooth.  I'm hoping to find some 'free' speed in the swim leg as I've never had anyone assess my stroke in anyway as I am self-coached and taught.  In an odd way I'd like Fiona to tell me I'm doing a number of things wrong, because by correcting them I may gain a decent chunk of time!

This week also saw me go out on a training ride with my club, the Kingston Wheelers.  The training ride is the quickest ride that goes out, although this week was a little diluted due to the absence of a couple of the quicker guys.  The pace was quite conversational until the final 1/3 when things ramped up, just as the stomach cramps which had been bugging me for the past 30miles decided enough was enough.  I'd tried a new drink for this ride and it obviously didn't agree with me.  I was disappointed to end up dropping off the group and solo'ing home, but it is what it is.  The ride also showed me that although my cycling has come on quite well - I've only been cycling with the club for a year - I still have a very long way to go.

So far, so good for me in 2013.