tri season 4
The days are long but the years ARE short! Where has this time gone? A full three years of doing this sport, where have they gone?
It does feel good. It’s almost a quiet part of life now, but still driving everything. Still shining a light on everything, still the part of the day I mostly look forward to.
This last year the step-up was real. Completing the full distance training, albeit without getting a shot at the race itself, completely changed my view from a doubtful one to a confident one. I could finally do things. Complete running sessions. run again the next day. Day after day… feeling strong and robust. Everything changed after this. Along came even more enjoyment as the levels of fitness have been higher than ever so you get to enjoy more.
Even when faced with the most intimidating session now I can instantly get into a ‘be in the moment’ state that helps me go through it almost automatically. I can see the difference compared to other, less experienced athletes now that tend to overthink it, as is natural and as of course I did. A lot! But I guess that’s the process of maturing into something like this, right? The ground feels more steady.
The one underlying constant is, of course the level of sacrifice: the travel plans all fitting around the racing season, the actual pain from the injuries and the need to get back to it as quickly as possible, the early mornings… but at least I’ve had many years of not sacrificing anything - thankfully I’ve sucked so much of this ‘freedom’ the years before that I don’t exactly feel deprived. It’s a phase and it feels at the right time, despite me thinking I got into this ‘so late’ - perhaps I’d be in larger conflict over the sacrifices it requires if I were younger. Let alone the financial investment.
So what’s the feeling for the year ahead?
It’s a calm one. It’s a ‘head down and get the work done and see what happens’ one. It’s one that recognises, yet again, how much needs to line up for me to be on the start line of a full Ironman and hoping I can make it this time. ‘Trust and believe’. With a lot of ‘let go’. I guess that’s the main differentiator this time? I am letting go a lot more. Because I’ve seen that it’s a lot more productive than pushing everything to the max. And that what seems to cost a lot in the moment, the day, the week, in hindsight it costs a lot less that what I originally thought. And its part of the journey.
So let’s go then, and see where this year takes us! The feeling has always been that the long distance will be something special. Something big for ME.
In the meantime I am simply grateful by how much I am still enjoying the daily process and how quickly this was re-sparked after the last race. Leading to it, I had been ‘grinding’ for so long, especially after not racing Nice (and ripping the reward of my hard effort), that I had zero appetite of discussing the next season or thinking about anything raining-related. I wasn’t sure I may need a real break from full-on triathlon and just have fun with other events… guess what. NOT the case 😊