Rhythm Section

I think it would be fair to say that I have been struggling to regain my trainng rhythm of late. Ever since Ironman WA really.

Post Ironman there was a necessary and enforced break in rhythm. That was necessary to give my body and mind the time it needed to recover from the race. That lasted for most of December, pretty much until the new year.

Around the new year I made a start back into training but then I got sick which knocked me to the ground for another two weeks. That cold relented a couple of weeks ago and I have been working my way back into training since then.

Over the last two weeks I have been desperate to get back into my training rhythm. That easy flow that allows you to get out and get your training done day in and day out without too much mental effort. Anyone who reads this blog regularly will know that I am a big advocate of getting out and doing the necessary work. I am painfully aware of how important it is to train consistently and intelligently. In many ways that is all it really takes to go quickly in a triathlon. Have a good training program and stick to it (unless injured or ill of course). Simple as that.

Struggling to find my rhythm means that over the last couple of weeks I have been struggling to get that training in. Don't get me wrong, I am close, probably about 90%, but I haven't been able to nail a week of training yet. Training at 90% for a week or two won't really have an effect long term, but doing it every week will make a big difference. For me so far it has only been a couple of weeks, but that long term impact is why I am so desperate to get back into my groove.

Part of my struggle is fitness. The body is only up for a certain amount and intensity of training at the moment. Another part of the struggle is the body, in some aspects it still doesn't quite feel like it is back to normal yet. Hard to put a finger on, just not quite right and that plays on the mind when you are trying to get back into training. What isn't letting me down at the moment is the head. I am itching to get going properly again. It will come though, one step at a time.

This morning it feels like I took one of those steps.

Leading into Ironman WA a session that became very important to me was my Friday morning Swim Smooth session. A pretty solid, 5 to 6km swim session. The session had obvious physical benefits, but it was also an important session for my head. The session helped me build belief in my swim. It was an example of a time where I knew I had done the work.

Given the importance of the session I have been really keen to get back in the habit, however, for all the reasons above, plus a couple of others, I haven't managed to get in a big Friday morning swim yet. This morning I finally managed it. I would be lying if I said I got through the whole 6000m, but I did get through a big chunk of it, enough that I felt satisfied.

It is only one step in the right direction, but single steps stringed together are what a journey made of.