Over the past few weeks, it has been drummed into me that quality is key and having focussed sessions is what makes a real difference in performance. As many will have seen, that certainly has paid dividends on my swimming, which has evolved into what many would term a ‘swim stroke’ rather than ‘splashing around in a pool’. I even mastered bilateral breathing- technical term I know!
However, last week I did take a little deviation from the sound advice, which has held me in pretty good stead since I began this journey. For regular followers, you will have seen that fitness is generally on the up and the sessions are going well. This inspired me to do the un-thinkable in many coaches’ minds and in the thoughts of the avid athletes amongst our office environment here at British Triathlon.
I did junk, not just any junk, but serious junk miles - 10 miles in all. It was like a relay between the chip shop and the pizza place and then back again. Why did I do it, I hear you say? Simple reason to be honest, ‘because I could’. Never before, have I even thought of running longer than 5km. Last weekend, I did.
A member of the team in the office, thought it was a terrible thing, ‘every session should have a purpose, your plans should be fun, junk is a terrible thing,’ he said. I agreed, but replied that sometimes you just have to go with your gut instinct – not a reference to the pizza or chip shop – and when it calls for miles, you have to do miles!
In a way, it was a little like a pilgrimage to an iconic triathlon venue, that many of you reading this will either have visited to cheer on friends or club mates, or even raced yourself, Holme Pierrepont in Nottingham, host of the British Club Relay Championships.
It all started with a relaxing Sunday run, along the River Trent, before arriving at The National Water Sports Centre. Upon arrival, the legs felt good, so I thought a quick loop of the regatta lake wouldn’t be too bad. After about 3km, the legs started to wobble, and then the infamous wind hit me on the back leg – pain began. Nevertheless, the important thing is that I did it and managed to keep going all the way.
For me, it was something I needed to do, to celebrate my achievements to date in improving my fitness. Sometimes, you follow a plan all the time, but you need to celebrate those little wins, those moments that have the ability to inspire you to get out the next day and do it all over again! It’s a big part of my training ethos, and something I will continue to do, right up until the point when I make my first stroke in that pool come March.
