Popularity contests

Well Dads and Kids camp last night went more or less to plan. Little sleep was had. Well that isn't quite true, sleep was had, but it was not of the best quality. There have been a tired dad and daughter at home today.

The tiredness did not help the training that I had on the agenda. Whilst it made it a bit tougher, the training still got done, so a win there.

Once I got home from the camp training consisted of an easy late morning run and then a swim later in the afternoon. The run was significant because it was the first continuous run I have done in a couple of weeks. As instructed by my physio the last few runs I have done have all involved some walking. Not today though. The run wasn't fast or even that far, but there was no stopping, which is a big step forward. I was also focused on keeping the intensity reasonable, rather than working too hard and burying myself. As a result the run was quite slow, but that is exactly what I was trying to do, so no big complaints.

The swim was also another good session. As has been the norm this week today's swim was a little bit further, quicker and better than yesterday's. Some of it even felt fairly normal, albeit a bit slower. Towards the end of the session I started to fatigue out and things become a bit uncomfortable, but the discomfort was not in the shoulder, so that is all good. Muscle fatigue I can deal with, in many ways it is expected. I like to think it means I am doing things right.

Big day of sport tomorrow, locally and abroad. In Perth tomorrow is a demonstration of just how popular cycling has become in town. Tomorrow there is not one, but two large mass participation riding events. The 3 and 5 Dams rides have become a bit of an institution in Perth. 145km and 241km rides through the hills of Perth, they are not for the faint hearted. Despite the difficulty though they are very popular attracting people from all over, not just the hardcore. As well as that there is another freeway ride on tomorrow. This is a ride where they close part of the freeway to allow bikes to ride along it, usually in support of a charity. Tomorrow is no exception with the ride being for the Asthma Foundation. They are expecting 8000 participants. Yes 8000. I haven't done this particular event before, but I have ridden the freeway and it sure is a lot of fun.

As well as the local rides 70.3 Putrajaya is on tomorrow. This is a race that has a special place in my heart because it was my first race as a pro last year. It is a very tough day out with high temperatures a factor in every leg (including the swim). In fact there has been some announcements made by the organisers saying that they are considering shortening tomorrow's event if it is too hot. I haven't heard the final decision on that, which makes me think that they aren't shortening it, as the decision has almost certainly been made already. I would have expected an announcement if they were going to implement one of the contingencies.

Watching the whole 'shortening Putrajaya 70.3' saga unfold online has been interesting. Almost all the comments I have seen online have been around keeping the event full length. In the end one of my least favourite things is when organisers put athletes at risk in the name of running an event, so I can well appreciate why the 70.3 Putrajaya organisers have a contingency plan available. But at the same time, the times I have been annoyed at organisers has normally been when unexpected dangerous conditions have arisen and organisers have not reacted accordingly. Putting athletes in those dangerous conditions rather than electing to use an alternative. However, when it comes to Putrajaya 70.3, the fact that the day is going to be hot is hardly a surprise. In fact, most of the reactions I have seen online have been from people saying that they came to Malaysia expecting a hot race. For a lot of them, the fact that 70.3 Putrajaya is a tough event is a big part of why they are there. As a result they don't want to see the race shortened just because the expected tough conditions have arisen. I have to say I tend to share their view. As long as the organisers provide sufficient hydration and opportunities for cooling, then getting through the event comes down to how well an athlete paces themselves and utilises the provided facilities. That can be hard to do well, but for many competitors managing it is part of the challenge. It will be interesting to see how it pans out. Whatever happens though, one thing is for sure, it will be a hard day out.