Camp and camaraderie

This week finished really well, but I was quite flat Monday and Tuesday after the hard bike session and XC run last Saturday. On top of that I had a pretty hectic work week, with 3 trips to Werribee for teaching. I usually try to limit my days out there to 2 for the week, or I fit in a ride commute around one of the days, which makes my schedule way more efficient. I really admire people who drive for a living - it exhausts me! Friday was crazy - we got our swim done (I managed a 16.27 for one of my 1k efforts, which is a PB), then a quick turnaround so I could drive the 50min out to Werribee to do a tutorial, drive back, meet Pete (who had packed the car), drive to do our movement session with Richard Sekesan (more on that later) and then straight down to Lorne for the MTC/Fluid winter training camp. Pete dropped me 20km short with my bike so I could do my 1hr ride. I was exhausted when I got there, but we also fitted in a sauna session, to help with our heat acclimation for Cebu next weekend.

A great weekend in Lorne with tri friends

It was awesome to be able to go away, though with a huge group of our tri friends. I love this sport for the friendships it has brought me, and it's always so inspiring to spend a weekend training (and having a couple of wines) with like-minded people. Camaraderie at its very best.

I've had incredibly mixed experiences at club training camps though - all due to the way I have approached them. In the past, I've ended up in tears, or completely demoralised if I've gone to a camp, wanting to ride or run with the group, then found myself out at the back. As an Ironman athlete, in the middle of a prep, I will rarely be in a position to be able to hang with the faster athletes in a group.

Running at my own pace and enjoying the rainbow

Fortunately with many years' experience I have way more perspective on this. I'd dearly love to have more company when I'm training, but going into a weekend like this knowing that I'll actually be training solo is way better than killing myself to keep up and paying for it days later. I can always socialise at dinner or brunch once the session is done.

I definitely wanted to be conservative this weekend. I have the shortest taper I've ever had into a 70.3 race this week. Usually if it were an "A" race, I'd taper at least 12-14 days out, but this was a full week of training. I have a complete rest day tomorrow though - hurray! It will be interesting to see how I go in Cebu. With the conditions being as hot as any race I will have done, it will certainly come down to aerobic fitness and heat management, rather than the top few % of speed. And with Kona only 11 weeks away, I couldn't really afford a complete taper (and then recovery) for a 70.3. I'm confident my swim and bike should be really strong, and the fitness is probably there for a fairly decent run. 

But mostly I'm looking forward to another trip to the warmth, and a bit of down time. I specifically chose a race that was a decent time out from Kona, so I could enjoy racing it and have a mini holiday alongside (even if that is only a couple of days). 

Before I finish, just a note on the movement coaching we've been doing. Richard Sekesan is a 10-time Ironman finisher himself, and was a PT but became fascinated by gymnastics and movement a few years ago. He has an amazing approach to strength and conditioning, and Peter and I have been going to see him for a couple of months. I have done yoga for many years, and I think that helped my core strength and flexibility, but it is very single-plane focused (the same plane as swim/bike/run) Richard is teaching us to use and move our bodies with more awareness and I think this will be really beneficial for us. I find it hard to schedule his "homework" though. Pete is super-disciplined and gets up 20-30min early to do it before training. I'm not a morning person at the best of times! So my goal from this week onward is to schedule some time every day to doing these important exercises. To see more of some of the amazing stuff Richard does - here's his Instagram page http://instagram.com/swimbikeruneatsleep

This week has gone so quickly! I can't believe that in 7 days I'll be in Cebu writing my next blog, post-race. Bring it on! 

Training this week: 

11weeks to go.