I actually hadn't realised how long it had been since I had last blogged...
... and I often find my blogging does correlate to either my training (or lack there of) and hence sometimes also a measure of my Mo Jo...
Now without really going on too long about Mo.. I have to confess he (or she) has been somewhat MIA these last few months and I have been struggling to motivate myself to do the quality and quantity of training in order to do the half iron distance race I have in .. oh.. 3 weeks..... some form of "justice" in terms of quality of race and/or performance.
But I am - glad to say - that actually I think I figured a few things out (some would say this is all kind of obvious - but being told the obvious by someone doesn't mean to say you understand and process these things at the same time)......
So I was on an epic journey which started in the summer of 2006 when I first found out about triathlon as a sport and read the first thing about this distance called Ironman. A ridiculous feat of endurance which - now I am on the other side of having done one ... I can confirm ridiculous... but with the right attitude, respect, support and some dedication doable. My dream started off as something I thought so "out there" it would be amazing to do and cross the finish line - and so I embarked on a self-made plan of sprint race 2006, Olympic 2007, half ironman 2008, 2009 a marathon and a couple of half ironman races and then to 2010 and finally achievement of my ridiculous idea of completing an irondistance race.
On the way to the 2010 race I did a middle distance race which gained me access to entry to the World Long Course Championships in November last year.....
... and so since having done this Mo and Jo have been MIA.... and now I see it for all those achievements were... and the fact that whilst doing all of that I got made redundant (marathon year), got a new job (ironman year), "met" (I say in speech marks because we have known each other for 10+ years) the person I am to "marry" later this year (which just makes my heart leap with happiness)....... left the new job for a summer of fun whilst training to be a sports and massage therapist, raced the Worlds in Las Vegas, got my job back...... So in a way with all that it is little wonder that Mo and Jo both needed a bit of a rest!!
Still they say finish a race, enter another ... and whilst this may be true sometimes actually it doesn't always work and the proof for me is the fact I entered the Cotwold 113 with the thought it would start me up and get me motivated and, honestly, whilst the venue, the course, the organisation everything looks amazing it just hasn't got focused I have been in the past. But now I kind of understand why.
A couple of weeks ago I gate crashed Bristol 10k in so much I should have been sherpa-ing and instead I got myself a race entry and entered! A bit cheeky.... Surprisingly I paced myself well and came in 53mins 16 or something like that. I was a little surprised and after it had ended even enjoyed the pain of the last "when will this end" 2k...!! Last weekend rather then training I enjoyed a day of phaffery on Saturday and Sunday did become the Sherpa up at the Bupa 10,000 in London. Watching all the amazing athletes from Mo (Fara) winning in under 30mins to Charlie, the last person who "owned" the home straight as she turned the final corner up the Mall to finish in a around 2 hours. From first to last and everyone in between it was a brilliant to support and watch and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.... and my feet were far too tired by the end of the day to bother with any training... and rather feeling guilty about that I actually reflected and realised that it is lovely to do these things, I am lucky to be able to and well races will be there for when I'm correctly motivated and in the meantime I will race Cotswold all be it in a different way to what I have been doing in the last couple of years.
Am I waffling on yet - and does this make sense?!
Anyway, having had this thinking and reflection time the pressure now for the race in 3 weeks is now off.... Don't get me wrong I am still doing it... and with that distance I will give it all to complete it but I won't put myself under pressure as the times will be slower then I would have been racing at a couple of years ago but I will finish and I will enjoy it (despite the mid race moments of growling and gripping which I am sure will come out!)
I have also determined that I do have an "A" race for the year and surprisingly it isn't a triathlon but a half marathon. I entered a month of two ago which takes place in October.... and for that race I am going to train hard and consistently...... because I have a target... now my PB is something like 1:59:xx and I was going to aim for sub 1:55... but I read somewhere that if you aim low you won't achieve high... so outrageously I am going to aim for under 1:50... now realistically I don't believe I can achieve this... but then in 2006 I didn't even think I could do a half ironman let alone a full one and I made Ironman my goal... so why not... If I don't go for it I won't know!! And why not PB when I am 42.. and I reckon I will need to PB for 5, 10 and 21k in same race ;) ... ha ha ha....
I also have another triathlon being lined up - a lovely looking Olympic distance in the Lake District which starts rather nicely in the afternoon (rather then stupid o'clock) and we shall be able to go for a long weekend and include a walk or two whilst we are up there. Am also hoping that Jules will enter too (as he has been in the same funk as me) and we can aim for a "fast" distance for some different kind of triathlon fun rather then all the long stuff. But this race will be supplementing my half marathon plan rather then have one of its own
So I am excited again.
Welcome back Mo Jo.....
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