Into the Cauldron

Not the most enjoyable bit of training today. It is strange, at first I couldn't put my finger on the why. I was looking for some deep and meaningful reason why I didn't really enjoy the session. Was I not focused, was I just not in the mood, was my motivation a bit low. I was looking for the big WHY.

Then it dawned on me, it wasn't any of those things, it was simply because the session was windy and it was hot. Nothing more complicated than that.

Training this morning was a bit of a brick session. Some riding and then 10km off the bike. As with all my runs at the moment my focus was on trying to replicate Ironman pace, which once again I struggled to do.

The training itself went fine. The session was a big step down in volume over what I have been doing so in many ways it was an easy morning out. Despite that though, I found I didn't really enjoy it. It had its moments, but I was happy when it was finished, which is what led me to my previously mentioned introspection.

As I have said, my lack of enjoyment wasn't due to some deep underlying fundamental issue, it was simply because the conditions were really just a bit crap. Today has been one of those 'hotter than the Sun' Perth days. Well really only about 36 degrees, but when you are training that is hot enough. Perth heat tends to be caused by Perth wind, you usually don't get the first without the second. Combine the two and it makes for a really fun day out. Hot dry wind and scorching sun. Fun and laughter. On the ride it felt like I was getting all the moisture gradually sucked out of me and by the time I was on the run it was already creeping past 33 degrees. You get the idea, the smiles were few and far between.

And I guess that was the takeaway from the session for me. It would be nice if every session was wonderful and felt great. I would love it if at the end of every hard day out, the heavens parted and a choir of singing angels descended. But the reality is that that doesn't happen every day. In every race prep you will certainly have those magic days, but you will also have those days when all you want to do is stay in bed, or days when you do get out of bed and spend the next few hours regretting it. That is the reality of training, sometimes you feel rubbish, or the conditions are horrible, or things refuse to go to plan. Those negative experiences are just part of the game. The key to the whole thing is how you react to those negative experiences. Do you let them daunt you, causing you to call it a day and limp home, or perhaps not leave home in the first place. Or do you suck it up, put your head down and do the work anyway. I could tell you which one is going to give you a better result on race day, but I suspect you can probably guess the answer.

So that was my big lesson from my session today. Certainly the training was good and I feel better for having done it, but really I think the bigger benefit from today was the confidence of knowing you have done the work. Rain, hail or scorching sun, you have got out there and done what you have to do in order to get to the start line in the best form you can. When the going gets tough at Ironman WA, which it definitely will, these are the sessions that will bring me through.