So, a year on from completing IM Wales and whats new?
I'm a little older, a little wiser, starting to get hair in really weird places...
Truth be told I'm in poor shape. The neck injury back in December / January really crippled me for the first half of the year, and this played out through the early summer with me being unwilling to really spend anytime training.
However, all good things must come to an end...
So here we are, 3 weeks out from Ironman Wales 2018, and I have itchy feet.
Laura (my good wife) has had her first (unsuccessful) channel attempt, and the ball is back in my court for a years worth of good training. I'm in the ballot for the London Marathon 2019, and if successfull I'm going after the old mans time of 4:30.
However, I know I can get that, I've got a PB of 4:20, and that was in Tenby last year.
So Wales is calling me again.
The emotional pull from the family home, the sense that the course is there for the taking, the way in which it kicked my arse so, so hard on the bike leg last year, but still produced a great day out. The wish for the boy to race the Ironkids next September, and for one last F-you to my 30's before I reach middle age.
2017 was an amazing day - The swim was awesome (1:05) the bike was treacherous (7:11) and the run was brutal (4:20) but the next day I knew I could have gone faster.
The swim was epic, I got on fast feet, I stayed on target, I didn't push too much. With a little stroke work I can get this under 1 hr. T1 was a long slog through town, I wouldn't change anything - if it was warmer I'd forego the cycle jersey and save a few mins getting dressed, but given the weather I'd rather be warm than cold.
For every hill I could have stayed aero for longer, for every flat I could have produced more watts, for every decent I could have stayed off the brakes and let the bike do the hard work. There is time on that bike course, easy time that can drop me into the 6:30 bracket.
The run course is carried by the support, having never run 26 miles I didn't know what to expect, what I found was suffering and misery all the way up to New Hedges, and then party time in the town. There was walking, there was too much apprehension, not enough running. There is time there. My initial splits were good until my watch died and I had to run on feel. Tech will save the day. I've got a 3:30 in me (avg 5m per K) and my 1/2 marathon of 1:27 confirms it.
In total, I know I can go sub 11.
I know I can train to go sub 11.
Now I've got to hit it.
Plenty of S&C, plenty of pool time, plenty of turbo over the winter, and some enjoyable runs.
Training starts now.
I'm a little older, a little wiser, starting to get hair in really weird places...
Truth be told I'm in poor shape. The neck injury back in December / January really crippled me for the first half of the year, and this played out through the early summer with me being unwilling to really spend anytime training.
However, all good things must come to an end...
So here we are, 3 weeks out from Ironman Wales 2018, and I have itchy feet.
Laura (my good wife) has had her first (unsuccessful) channel attempt, and the ball is back in my court for a years worth of good training. I'm in the ballot for the London Marathon 2019, and if successfull I'm going after the old mans time of 4:30.
However, I know I can get that, I've got a PB of 4:20, and that was in Tenby last year.
So Wales is calling me again.
The emotional pull from the family home, the sense that the course is there for the taking, the way in which it kicked my arse so, so hard on the bike leg last year, but still produced a great day out. The wish for the boy to race the Ironkids next September, and for one last F-you to my 30's before I reach middle age.
2017 was an amazing day - The swim was awesome (1:05) the bike was treacherous (7:11) and the run was brutal (4:20) but the next day I knew I could have gone faster.
The swim was epic, I got on fast feet, I stayed on target, I didn't push too much. With a little stroke work I can get this under 1 hr. T1 was a long slog through town, I wouldn't change anything - if it was warmer I'd forego the cycle jersey and save a few mins getting dressed, but given the weather I'd rather be warm than cold.
For every hill I could have stayed aero for longer, for every flat I could have produced more watts, for every decent I could have stayed off the brakes and let the bike do the hard work. There is time on that bike course, easy time that can drop me into the 6:30 bracket.
The run course is carried by the support, having never run 26 miles I didn't know what to expect, what I found was suffering and misery all the way up to New Hedges, and then party time in the town. There was walking, there was too much apprehension, not enough running. There is time there. My initial splits were good until my watch died and I had to run on feel. Tech will save the day. I've got a 3:30 in me (avg 5m per K) and my 1/2 marathon of 1:27 confirms it.
In total, I know I can go sub 11.
I know I can train to go sub 11.
Now I've got to hit it.
Plenty of S&C, plenty of pool time, plenty of turbo over the winter, and some enjoyable runs.
Training starts now.
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