In mid February 2013 i was dealt a major shock when i got an email on a sunday afternoon to say that enough people have dropped out that i was now next on the list and therefore going to Turkey, if i wished!!! Oh my good god!!!!! I was absolutely stunned and didn't know what to do. The place was mine, all i had to do was pay the race entry fee and i was confirmed. But, i hadn't expected this and therefore i felt that i didn't deserve it. I only just made the qualifying time, was i good enough to don a GB trisuit and race for Great Britain as an age-grouper??
I slept on it but then i started to think "this could be an opportunity to prove i am good enough, that i can excel if i train right" and "i want to do my family proud, as who knows if this opportunity will arise again, and who knows what the future holds". Plus, wearing a GB trisuit would be AMAZING, and an experience i would never forget, and i could always call myself a GB age-grouper. Additionally, if i did do private sport psychology work then having that on my CV would certainly be a bonus! How could i say 'NO'?? So, that was it, i was going! Paid my £102 race entry fee and then tried to sort out a trip out there. Due to it being late in the day availability was minimal meaning costs were up. The thing with GB age-groupers is that you have to pay for it all, nothing is free! You have to pay to race, pay to get there, pay to buy the kit, pay if you want a massage from the team masseuse, pay if you want bike help from the bike maintenance person with the team...thankfully my bank balance was looking healthy! I can's say the same now, lol!
I managed to get into the 2nd GB hotel, next door to the official one. Reviews of it were mixed, but i'm hoping if they are hosting team GB that the standards will be OK. I will stick to cooked food though, and i will take pots of porridge for breakfast on race morning, as i will have to eat at 4am for a 7am pontoon dive start into the med sea! No wetsuits as it's so warm! I am a freezer, but i also dislike it being too hot. I am NOT a sun-seeker, so i am having to acclimatise. I've started this already by wearing extra layers when running/cycling, both outside and also in the gym - i sweat a lot anyway but this means i am pouring sweat out, lol, good for the pores ;)
What i also decided was that if i was going to go to Turkey then i needed to get a tri coach. I asked Rose and she was more than happy to do this. Therefore, i have just completed the first week of tri coaching. The reason i went for this is that it means i don't have to think about my training plan, or it being progressive etc. i just have to follow the plan. What i found this week was when my mind was playing tricks on me after a lengthy osteopath session and i was tired and hungry, and it was late in the evening, i didn't think, oh i'll catch up tomorrow, i got home and got it done! it also meant that when the alarm went off at 5:15am there were no doubts, no thought of reaching for the alarm as has been happening for the past few months, and instead i was up, and out, and getting it all done. No more haphazard training, now i have a plan taken care of for me, my main challenge now will be fitting in my MSc work around it as this past week i have had no time at all to go anything so i am going to have to finish off my assignment tomorrow afternoon once i get back from my first race of the season, the pembroke duathlon (also the welsh champs, and one of our club races).
It's been an interesting first week as come monday, my rest day, my legs were heavy from the brutal xcountry the previous day, but i didn't have the luxury of the rest day and instead had to do a strength and conditioning session that left me aching until i had to repeat it 3 days later! Each session was challenging, but once my body settled into each session it got easier, although still tough. It did give my confidence for this sunday's race though that i can maintain a high pace on the run without my heart rate maxing out, as i was having to go pretty fast to get it to rise into Level 2 heart rate zone (that got worked out for me by Rose from doing a bike test with her), and even harder to get it to raise into the higher part of level 2! Thankfully, as i write this, it's saturday, my rest day finally, and i've spent the morning filling the fridge having not had time all week to do anything other than train, work, train, sleep. I've also done prep for the race tomorrow, practising changing an inner tube and using CO2 canisters for the first time. Now i just need to finish off packing all my kit for tomorrow as my parents and i are staying down in pembroke tonight so my alarm will be set for about 6:15am rather than 4:30!! Looking forward to the race actually, less nerves as no mass swim, and it's also a short sharp race so a good tester. There are about 24 club members racing, which will be great to see, and i imagine a lot of banter will take place too.
Before all that mind you, there is the small matter of wales v england in the last game of this year's 6 nations!!
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