It’s a great feeling to finally put some results on the score card after a long training block. Anyone who knows me also knows I was chomping at the bits to get back to racing.
I’ve had a few disappointments mid season this year. One: not being selected on the Welsh Commonwealth Games Individual Triathlon Team. Two: being disqualified at IM France for not wearing my number belt on the bike. However, these negative situations have fueled the fire for a positive outcome. I put in ten solid weeks of consistent training. This is probably the longest mid-season block I have ever done. And it payed off. I came 2nd at the European IM 70.3 Championship in Wiesbaden, Germany. Then 6 days later I backed up with sub-9hr performance at Ironman Sweden.
There was no time to enjoy any celebrations as I only had 5 days to recover as quickly as possible before racing IM Sweden. Admittedly, I was tired when the gun went off. My body was still sore from racing in Wiesbaden and I hadn’t slept all week. However this didn’t change a thing. I was going to give it 100%. Some people questioned if this was smart to race 8 weeks before Kona. First of all, I needed to validate my Kona slot. For some, this is just finishing an Ironman. For me it is like any other race…….I’m racing to give it my shot at winning. In my opinion there are so many reasons it makes sense to race as opposed to just getting around the course. I need to earn money. I need to represent my sponsors. I need to respect my fellow athletes. And I need to uphold the obligation as a professional athlete to race and portray a positive image of triathlon. This sport has been my bread and butter since I was a teenager. It is my job and I love it.
This week has been a recovery week and its now time to put my head down for one last training push on the road to Kona.