Early Mark

Feeling better today after a good nights sleep, all bright eyed and bushy tailed again. This morning's swim session was everything I had hoped it would be in terms of getting out early. The swim itself felt pretty okay, a nice pre race maintenace swim. There were lots of folks in wetsuits (I wasn't one of them), so I got to sit on some toes for most of the session. It is funny, we got to about two thirds of the way through the session and most the squad dissapeared as all the Busso people got out. Our lane went from around 10 people down to a couple.

I am starting to feel good in my taper. I am not jumping out of my skin, but I am not feeling tired or fatigued at all. That is just about the point I like to be.

I don't look to be feeling amazing during a taper, I just look to be feeling good, not tired, not fatigued. I know that if I am feeling that way then my body is ready. I know some people who expect to feeling like they are buzzing at 110% in a taper and get dissapointed if they don't. I am not sure if others ever feel that way, but I know my body doesn't tend to, or need to. Feeling good is good enough.

Sometimes I find myself getting concerned because I don't feel like I have been drinking red cordial. If I feel that way I usually like to remind myself what I can do in training at the end of a heavy week when I start the session tired. If I can do that when tired, then racing when I feel good is always going to be better.

I finally managed to get the race wheels on the bike last night. I am certainly getting better at that. I know it sounds like a minor thing, but getting carbon race wheels on a P5 can be a slow process. I insist of changing over my brake pads (I know you don't necessarily have to but I think it is good practice), which is a bit tricky to access with the underslung back brake. I also have to widen the brakes to take the wider rims, which on a P5 requires making an adjustment at the brake levers. All up changing over the wheels takes me about half an hour, assuming I don't make a mistake or drop something and lose it. This time I got though the whole process first shot and even had time to give the bike a bit of clean. Good to go now.

Rest again tonight and then on the bike in the morning for what I would consider to be my last proper training session. One last ride/run. This time it will be on the race wheels, so hopefully everything goes smoothly. After tomorrow morning training really lightens off, with a couple of light swims etc.

Getting close now.