Building up to the "Big One".....

So, my last post was after the adrenaline high of the Marathon and the few weeks following were lacking in much movement to aid recovery from that effort.  May was mostly about getting out on the bike more and I took to cycling to work and being "beasted" on the bike by the Head of English after work on Wednesdays.

I did hit the lake too to get some swim training in, ready for Great London Swim that was creeping up in May and even convinced Bryony that it would be wise to join me.  Little did I know (or her at the time), but she was actually entered into the Bupa London 10km the next day.  This was now her chance to do a relatively restful "aquathlon".  The swim was okay, but VERY windy and choppy, looking more like a sea swim. Despite a few issues with my "chip timing" not working at the start or end and subsequently giving me a dubious time, I do have some proof of finishing it here: 

My final event before the Half Ironman, was a last minute "race preparation" race, down in South Cerney.  This was an Olympic Distance event and my first triathlon of the year, so a chance to test out some transitions and put all my training together. 

It was a lot tougher than I wanted it to be, not helped by gale-force winds that weekend and a tricky bike course and run section.  The swim felt fantastic and I managed to stay tight to someone to draft a little, but the bike took all that good feeling out of me, as I got passed by plenty of people. It was into a headwind for a majority of the course it seems and when I got off the bike onto the run, my feet were pretty numb from the cold.  It was an off-road 10km, round the lake, with some pretty rubbish terrain.  It felt hard and I was a little worried that this was not a good sign, but I finished with a decent sprint to try and catch the guy in front, but he just got me.  Highlights are here:

 

 

 Next stop......Marlow Half Ironman!!