Triathletes in Isolation

Well, I cannot believe that it is almost a month since I blogged. Time seems to be going fast here in some ways; but slow in other ways. Keeping true, as always, to the fact that this is a training Blog, I will leave out the associated issues of being in this place. As far as training goes, I continue to tick over. We still cannot run outside and cycling is done only on the spinning bikes. No swimming possible. So, the cross training theme continues. The Ergo Rower sessions are increasing. It's strange; I am happy to row for 45 mins but really struggle to run on the treadmill for 30 mins! I like the numbers attached to rowing - there is an aim; a target; a comparison. the spinning bike does not give you this. I think I like the rower because it is similar to bike time trialling. It is a challenge against the clock and only you can do anything about getting faster. I am improving on the rower, but will never be fast. I like the 5k distance - I do not have the power to go well over 2k. My target remains sub 19 mins for 5k. Currently, I am at 19:10.9. I am careful not to go for a time every session. I am mixing up the training as I would for running; some easy long, some short hard. The spinning is sufficient to keep the bike legs I reckon but I rarely do more than an hour in one chunk. I am doing conditioing work twice a week. I am certainly getting stronger and I really hope that I will feel the benefits of this work when I come to race again. the problem I face is age! I will be 48 in a couple of months and, having missed the entire 2012 season, the seeds of doubt are nagging at me saying that I will be slow and past it next year. Time will tell. One thing that interests me is seeing how daz Sharpe goes this year. He is receiving coaching for the first time. It will be interesting to see if doing something different in training will reap different race results - hope so! My thoughts are turning to training differently to try and maintain some sort of progress - or may be age fade performance reduction! Maybe I will plan my training 2 days at a time instead on one! That would be a change!! Happy racing everyone. Rootin' for you all from this hot and dusty most yuk place that I have ever been to. . . . . . But still smiling!