That's better

Ahhh, training again. Just what the doctor ordered. Well probably not actually, but that is okay because I didn't consult one anyway, so I guess it doesn't really matter if they would recommend it or not.

Hmmmm. What was I saying again...

Oh yeah, training again. Hooray!!!

Last night I didn't train, but I was pretty close to certain that I would be able to this morning. Not training yesterday afternoon was more me being cautious than anything. I am always mindful of some advice I have had from Daryl before which is something like "Wait until you feel okay, then wait a little longer". Resting last night was a little longer.

This morning I woke up still feeling okay and decided that even if I got to the pool and found out after 2km that I in fact wasn't feeling okay, then it would be better than nothing. Turns out that I was still feeling okay. Not necessarily 100%, but I am being hard pressed to put a finger on what is missing, sort of a remnant of a scratchy throat I think. Training wise I am feeling fine though, certainly in the pool this morning I was.

It is always a bit daunting having your first Wednesday morning swim back after a bit of a break. Deep down I knew that swimming has been going well and so that I would be okay, but there is always that nag of uncertainty, particularly coming off being a little bit ill. I needn't have worried though. once I got going I felt okay, even leading the lane at one point (which is rare for me).

It is nice to return to proper training and find it just how you left it. Once again, logically this should be the case. Whilst last week was recovery I was still training and I only really missed one day of training due to this cold (or whatever it is), hardly enough time for the fitness that I had in the fastest race of my life to suddenly desert me. But, and I am sure I am not alone amongst triathletes here, there is always that small part of you that is worried that it might have. Somehow, against all logic and modern sports science. Perhaps some sort of roving, magical fitness black hole or something. Anyway, it doesn't appear to have. Phew.

Given the swim went fine this morning my plan is to jump on the trainer tonight. I am looking forward to the session. When I first got my Kickr I loved it, great tool, I would even go so far as to say I enjoyed using it, which is saying something given my past relationships with trainers. However, I think I maybe over did it, or perhaps it was just natural fatigue, but in the last month or so I have been struggling to motivate myself to use the trainer. Still a great tool, no doubt, but I was perhaps just a little sick of it. I haven't used it for a couple of weeks now (with the race and being away and all) and so now I am itching to get back on it and get on with a nice solid session. Remind my legs what it is all about, sort of like the swim this morning did for my arms. But this evening I may regret my current enthusiasm, but for now I am keen.

The other day (perhaps even just yesterday) I mentioned that I was planning on withdrawing from Auckland 70.3 and that I was going to do the Albany Half near Perth instead. Well I went to go through with that yesterday when I noticed something that I hadn't before. The Auckland 70.3 page had something about transferring the entry. I almost didn't read it because I assumed it just said the usual stuff about not being able to transfer the entry. However, I did read it, and to my surprise it was about a new system that Ironman is trialing which lets you transfer your entry to other races in your region, which in my case is the Asia-Pacific. It has always bugged me that Ironman didn't offer something like this. Training for a race like an Ironman, things go wrong, sometimes you just can't get to the start line, happens to the best of us. Knowing that withdrawing was going to end up costing you hundreds of dollars has always been like rubbing salt in the wound. This new system is a big improvement in my mind.

My transfer hasn't gone through yet, it takes a few days, but hopefully my Auckland 70.3 entry will shortly be converted to a Putrajaya 70.3 entry. I may still be a little bit out of pocket, but it will be nothing compared to what it would have cost me to withdraw from Auckland 70.3 (lose 75% of my entry fee) and then pay to enter Putrajaya. Sweet.

It is easy to be critical of many of the decisions that WTC make with the Ironman brand. Lots of them come across as being fairly cynical attempts of getting more money out of you. So it is very nice to see one that is clearly there to help the athletes out. Nice work.