I’m on the Top of the World

What is it about completing a challenge that gives you that ‘Top of the World’ feeling? Even a baby challenge?

Sunday just gone saw me racing in my one and only Triathlon this season. The Nissan-BRW corporate. I did not do much preparation or training except for a couple of swims, a few short runs and my normal weekend cycling. The fact that it was a short Tri, only 400m swim, 10km bike ride and 4km run is my excuse for my pre-race complacency. So although I am only 90% happy with my splits, my times were not unexpected BUT the bonus is I have this warm, buzzy, glowing, feeling that has been around since Sunday.

To be perfectly honest, I thought I did amazing in the swim. To put it into perspective, 12 months ago I was close to tears, panicking before the swim and hyperventilating for the most part of it. This year I actually enjoyed myself. I was calm and in control and in ‘the zone’. I nailed the bike leg, average speed 30km/h! Yeah Baby!! But I was very confident I would. And then the run… I was hurting for the first km, I just could not get rid of that stitch. This really disappointed me on the course but when I finished and looked at the split, 25 minutes for 4 km… that is not far off my normal, cruising run speed…. so I am suspecting that once I pushed through the pain I got stronger towards the end and powered home!

I’m just a legend!! 😉

Now the key is to somehow bottle this buzz and release it next year when the Triathlon season opens up here again. I can’t wait! And this time I WILL be training!! Bring it ON!!

And you do this because…?

Yeah maybe I have some masochistic tendencies… How else would you explain putting my hand up to run the 10km leg in an Olympic Distance Triathlon AND THEN knowing the event is round the corner, not actually doing any run training till the week before the event?

It was a stinking HOT day and I was one of the last runners off. I was confident I could do the distance but I was nervous because I had never run in that sort of mid day heat before. I even entertained just chucking a dummy spit and not running!! BUT I did run AND I did survive AND I ran a reasonable time too. But of course I am paying for it now. 2 days post event and I am walking like a zombie!! It is quite funny actually.

I would have been ok if not for the fact that I really didn’t want to be the last runner in so on the last 5 km I decided to sprint and do some mini intervals just so I could overtake some people… Like I said, I might have some masochistic tendencies!! But hey, I wasn’t the last runner over the line.

And if I am really honest with myself, I really did enjoy it!!

So maybe half marathon here I come?

To Tri Or Not To Triathlon (& Just Cycle Instead)

It was an amazing convergence of events. This happened over weeks but it seemed one day the baby turned 2, hubby got a new job which meant he was home in the early afternoons and on weekends, our Worldwide Marriage Encounter leadership term expired and suddenly this whole new world of time and possibilities opened up for me. Maybe I also had an early mid life crisis because at the beginning of the year I completed a 6 week triathlon training course and raced and finished my first ever triathlon. Definitely one of the highlights of my year.

I had planned to race in at least another two or three more in the season but only managed one more a few weeks later. I finished that too but as I had not kept up with my training I was not happy with my results.

I think I am hooked now. I have even got my kids into the sport. Talk about value for money, I pass  all the tips that my coach gave me on to them!!

I am pretty sure I want to race in more Triathlons but for the last 6 weeks I have been nursing a really sore foot. Dr. Google says I have a badly strained plantar fascia. Basically a strain in the arch of the foot… I have done all the right things and I can at least walk now in relative comfort. Thank God my cycling and swimming were not affected or I might have just given it all away!!

So the question is do I persist with my training or forget Triathlons altogether and just focus on cycling? That is a tough one. I was just starting to really enjoy running again. And swimming, what can I say? I can swim for miles in the pool but throw me in the ocean or river and I panic… You would not believe how DIFFERENT pool and open water swimming are!!

It seems so simple doesn’t it? And maybe the simple answer is the right one BUT at the end of the day what I want and what is right don’t match up so I guess this is going to have to be decided by my FOOT!!

Ok Foot? You hear that? You have already making me miss the Relay Marathon next weekend BUT the City 2 Surf is at the end of August!! So what are you waiting for? Get better already and lets get running!!