I think after watching Ironman World Champs in Kona on the weekend motivation is at an all time high to get there, especially as I knew 15-20 people racing there!
So, a compressed version of the past 3 years:
- Work, same same, is great as it is only a few k's from home and can always schedule my work around tri training and races!
- Home, have moved a whole 20 metres across the road from number 13 to number 12!
- Personal life, broke up with one girlfriend, single for a year, then met a fantastic girl who is also getting into triathlons, she is now living with me!
- Triathlon, after Vancouver, came home and raced summer season, qualified for World Champs in Australia on the Gold Coast. Spent 5-6 weeks in Qld racing 70.3 in Yeppoon, sprint in Townsville and Airlie Beach and then worlds in GC, with a crappy result!
Came back with pretty good fitness and had a good summer season, racing Geelong 70.3, other races in Tassie and Murray Man in South Australia, and once again qualified for world champs in Budapest, Hungary.
I left in August and went and spent 3 weeks in the Pyrenees in France, racing and training with a French tri team, then travelled across to Slovenia and raced an olympic dist race there placing very well overall.
Off to Budapest the following week, where it was another freezing cold race, and had a shocker. Was going to race in Croatia the following week, but the race was cancelled, so chilled out and drank in Croatia and Italy, then travelled to northern UK to meet up with sis and her fiance. Ended up doing a race around a castle south of London the day before I flew home and did ok. A great 6 week trip in Europe!
Had no motivation late last year, raced Noosa and Shep 70.3 on next to no training (in the box!!) and after Ironman China was announced entered that for late May.
Spent a lot more time training than racing last summer, did a couple of longer races, as well as a mix of sprint and olympic. Training was solid, until 16 days out from Ironman China they cancelled the race!!
We ended up entering IM Korea 6 weeks later. Had a good build, and was pretty healthy for winter despite the extra 6 weeks of training.
We went over 12 days before the race, relaxed and got into it.
I had a good swim (57), rode around 5.07 on a hilly course and got out onto the run course in around 3rd in AG. It was smoking hot and humid, and went ok till around the 20k mark when the hurt was put on. Started gettting calf/hammy cramps around 22-25k mark and lost a good half hour over the last lap!
Finished in 10.36 or thereabouts, and 14th in AG, missing my spot to Hawaii. My good mate Simon who I was travelling with got 3rd and qualified!
Anyway, we stopped off in Koh Samuii, Thailand on the way home and partied hard!
Since I have got home I have snagged an entry to IM Western Australia in December and IM Melbourne in March, everything else around that will be fillers!
I have also had a few niggles since I got back, had a stuffed neck, then a couple of jammed facet joints in my back, a inflamed/trapped tendon in my shoulder, and then I tore a disc in my back at work 5 weeks ago!! and I wasn't even training that much! I think the body was saying 'up yours' for putting it through the Ironman! lol
So I am gradually training again now, did 400k on the bike last week and about 35k of running, so with 8 weeks till busso, and with Noosa in 3 weeks and Shep 70.3, there is some slight hope!
If you're still reading thats enough for now.
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