39 days and counting

So, we're just under 40 days from Ironman now and I've decided to change up the way I do these blogs. Instead of the random musings which have been common until now, I'll attempt to blog on a daily basis from now on in and tell you exactly what I've done in terms of training (and general preparation) that day and why...and mix that in with a healthy dollop of random musings! The hope is that, if you're about to bite the bullet and take on your first Ironman, or any triathlon, then this may help, and for those of you (the majority) who'll never tackle anything like this, then you'll get a privileged and detailed portrait of how you prepare for something like this.

I'm currently on a rest/recovery week; as I've said before, it's essential that athletes have an easier week once a month as it helps to avoid injury/illness/blowout, while giving the body a chance to recover and catch up with those fitness gains and, just as importantly, keeping you eager to train. I'm at that point now...can't wait to get back to the hard stuff! The weekend promises to be a tough one, which is fine by me.

Today was just a swim day (normally I do two sessions a day but during an easy week that's down to one a day most days). My programme required 75 minutes of swimming; as the masters sessions I attend are an hour long, I got there early and did a few hundred metres on my own. It was a quiet session and far shorter than usual, concentrating more on technique. Tho we did a main set of 6 x 200m (that's 6 x 8 lengths in your local pool), getting less rest and faster with each one.

It's funny how we change. As a kid, I was a very good swimmer but, I'll now confess, a dreadful trainer. I hated training, tended to just go through the motions, avoided sessions where possible and was lucky enough to pull off decent race times in spite of that. I specialised in shorter sprints, mainly butterfly and backstroke.

Now, I'm a triathlete, so it's all about long distance freestyle...like a 100m runner becoming a marathoner, the theory is similar but they're almost different sports. I also love training hard now. Train hard fight easy, as the army like to say. For that reason, I love long swim sets that get progressively tougher – making those who want to keep up with you hurt from the beginning and then turning the screw to get tougher and tougher. Worlds away from how I used to be!

So, 39 days and counting...and, without wishing to tempt fate, I feel physically great (fingers crossed and touching wood). I've not really suffered from any of the most common injuries, aches and pains that most first-time Ironman racers get in training. This means I'm either killing it or am not doing enough and in for one hell of a shock... it's always tempting to think the former and pile mile on top of mile but I need to trust in the programme. That's my motto for recovery week, trust in the programme!

Hasta manana.