The Reason we Tri

The last few weeks I have been having those thoughts that can sneak into a long season of training.... "Why am I bothering", "Is there any point to this?", "Is this actually making a difference?"

I have missed a few nights out with friends because of race preparation, the early morning sessions have become harder and harder since the nights started drawing in, and i thought to myself, "Am i really improving, is this making a difference?"

Today answered these questions and also made me realise the progress I had made over the last 2 years.

I competed in Birmingham (BRAT) Olympic Triathlon this morning. Out of bed at 4am, after missing another night out last night, I trudged over and the slow but steady rain was already dampening my day... but I was soon racing.

The swim went as normal, I try to enjoy it and get into a rhythm, but secretly, I am just planning for when it's over and the real part of the race begins. (Something I know i need to work on)

Then the revelations started, out onto the bike course in the driving rain, I was pushing hard and enjoying myself. Regularly passing people and keeping up with the faster bikers who were over taking me. I then over took a few people who were struggling up a small incline, I thought to myself "This is where i would have been struggling last year", and now I am flying up this hill. I smiled inside and forgot the rain for a moment.

Then on the run, which called for three journeys up a 500 metre long steady hill... again people were struggling and I thought to myself on the first climb, that the third time I was going to do this, would hurt a lot... along came the third time and I powered up the hill as well as i did the first time, again passing other runners.

This triggered memories of my 5:30am Hill Reps every Friday morning... so they were making a difference! the training i was doing was making me stronger.

Obviously, logically I knew all of this already, from my steadily improving race times etc... but sometimes i think we need these little revelations to spark our fight again, and remind us that the 5am starts, the rain filled training sessions and the pain is all worth it in the end.

BTW... I finished the Birmingham Triathlon in 2:20:02... a personal best by 4 minutes.