Everyone has those moments of madness right? The kind when you decide you want to do something you've been thinking about for a long time... You think it's maybe a crazy plan, but you feel so alive and excited when you think of taking on this goal, that in the end you take the plunge, enter your credit card details, press the button and that's it - you've signed up. Perhaps it's booking a one way ticket to a foreign destination with only £200 in your back pocket, signing up for your first Tough Mudder or booking those language courses you've always wanted to take. For me, it happened last September when I signed up for my first Ironman.
To complete the ironman I will have to swim 2.4 miles, cycle 112 miles and run 26.3 miles in one sitting. So here I am, trying my best to fit in the ludicrously high volume of training prescribed to me by my 24 week Ironman training guide book.
I've done 5 weeks so far of swimming, running and British Military Fitness and it's been good but I haven't ridden my bike since November last year. Last week I was in a cycle shop talking to one of the staff about kit, when he asked me which ironman I was doing. I explained which one and said I was about to start my cycle training. I was confronted with a raised eyebrow and the words "ooh, optimistic". It was more of a statement than a question. I brushed it off, telling him "I will be fine, I've done endurance events in the past", but secretly I was thinking "s*** he's right"! Luckily, I was on my way to France at the time and had my bike in tow.
Last week I went on 4 rides totalling 220 miles. Definitely back in the saddle now! The weather and roads in France are superb for cycling, it was cold with clear blue skies and undulating roads alongside the Seine, I clocked 80 miles over Sunday and Thursday.
In the UK, I rode from London to Brighton with Simon on Saturday clocking 85 miles, unfortunately not very scenic as our GPS died and we had to follow the main roads.
Living in East London also gives me easy access to Essex where the roads are quiet and hilly (good training) so clocked off another 55 miles on Sunday with my cycling buddy Kristian.
