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Every Day’s A School Day

You know it’s going to be a windy ride when your iPod is blown out of your ears just a few miles from home and you’re pushing 200+ watts and barely moving! Training this weekend was a blustery affair and my decision to do my long ride on Saturday turned out to be just plain crazy. I was about 25 miles from home when trees started blowing across the road, pub signs were being thrashed across car parks and motorists were looking at me as if I was totally nuts. For once, the motorists did actually have the right idea. What sort of crazy fool would ride in this weather?! Answer: the sort who is getting back into consistent training and is keen to keep going now I’m back in the groove.

Last winter I overegged the tri training pudding slightly and came into the New Year injured and lacking that ‘zip’ which is needed come race season. This year, therefore, I’m doing things differently. As many friends and mentors keep telling me, it’s all about training as hard as you can consistently train – with plenty of emphasis on the ‘consistent’ part.

Running injuries have always been my downfall so it’s that I’m monitoring most closely, but I’m also mindful that at this time of year it’s all about enjoying every single session. I can honestly say that is the case – even on the turbo (help, what’s wrong with me?!)

I also thought last year that if I zoomed off to Australia for the winter I’d automatically come back a faster, fitter, stronger athlete – but learnt the hard way that that’s not necessarily always the case. Sure, the sunshine makes it dead easy to get out of bed and nail your sessions each day, but that was part of the problem. I was a million miles away from the people who prevent me from nailing myself day after day and rein me in when I needed reining in. This year, then, staying at home is the new going abroad. I’m not promising that I won’t moan about the weather at times – but just tell me to button it if I’m on here Bloggle-ing about the terrible snow/ice/hail/rain. Surely that’s half the fun, right?!

Happy (warm, dry & safe) training
EK