Ironman Days

Ironman days are what I like to call these! What a week it has been indeed. I tell you one thing this training makes you realize a couple of things about yourself and just a bit about life in general.

Motivation for this week has been intense. I have had to pull it out of everything I possibly could. It has been music, it has been scripture, it has been a few motivational clips, it has even been due to some words of encouragement from friends and of course my beautiful wife.

I never will forget the day I stood on the shore last year in Nice, waiting for the gun to go, knowing in the back of my mind I have never swam 3,8km or cycled 180 km or even run a marathon!

I was unprepared is what I’m getting to, but this time round, every time I’m about to pull on my tights exactly that goes through my head: I am preparing for something that takes a lot more than 3 months of training, in fact impossible. So this week was all about getting my head around preparing for this mammoth event that is getting closer and closer each day- in fact 168 days away today!

The heading of this Blog is Ironman days, well I really hope I don’t encounter many of these ironman days. I like to call them that because they are days when you really get a taste of what you are made of. Man alive, did I get a little taster this week! I finished work and headed out for my weekly long distance cycle, so this ride incorporates about three hours in the saddle and around 90 km at the moment. You do this once a week at present, but if the prep on this puppy isn’t good enough the 5 – 6 hour rides later on will be impossible! Back to the ride- I headed out with a gale force wind flat in the face and made my way to Richmond Park, this short 10 km wasn’t great either just because it seemed that the wind had picked up more and my mood had taken a turn for the worse. I stopped in the park for a second, contemplating going home and jumping on the turbo. My mind ran away a little further and said ‘you have done so well already this week what will this ride really matter?'

I decided, screw this, when something pulls you back you pull back even harder, so with no spring in my step what so ever I mounted the bike and headed on the 90 km route. The wind got worse and the road didn’t do me any favours with potholes and traffic everywhere, but then again I was looking at the glass nearly empty!!

I made the half way mark and as the wind got stronger I pushed even harder maintaining my average speed all the way through knowing full well this was an Ironman day. What if I pitch up in Bolton in July and it is blowing a gale? Problem solved: I have already beaten that wind and I have already persevered through the Ironman day! I feel life is very much like this, we get pushed hard each day and we wake up already having decided what the day would be like without tasting what truly could have been. What I am learning the hard way here is to mount the bike stand in the gale, in fact seek more wind, become prepared because when the big dog shows up I won’t be asking any questions I’ll be straight in!!

I hope you guys have an amazing week, seek those Ironman days out and break their necks!!

Much love God Bless Ad