Travel and training: not a good mix

THURSDAY 22^nd October

It’s now 10 weeks to the Iron Man in Busso.  This week (11 weeks out) has been almost a non-starter for training.  I left for the UK on Saturday meaning no long ride this week and then I arrived here a little weary after the flight.  Sunday was spent with Jade and Bala and their mates in London (always a treat for me and my favourite part of all my travels). Monday was spent travelling up to Preston (north of Manchester) and meeting with the client there to discuss the week’s work and the progress made since my last visit in June.  Then it was straight into running the 3 day training which means long days on my feet, and evenings out having dinner with the clients. I’ve been jumping up at the usual early hour and doing some gentle runs around the neighbourhood, until the gym opens at 6am when I’ve jumped on the stationary bike.  I’ve not been lasting long on the bike as it’s uncomfortable and incredibly boring, not to mention I only have half an hour before having to have a shower and head out to work. And it’s been raining every morning so the runs have been a bit of an effort. Week 11 is a write off.

I’m back down in London tomorrow so I’ll have a run an early around Regents Park before meeting Richard for breakfast, who’s flying in from Vancouver. Then it’s meetings during the day, dinner with Jade & Bala tomorrow night and flying off to Zurich on Saturday.  Next week I’m afraid is not going to be much better. I’m hoping to get some solid sessions in the gym at the hotel before flying back to Sydney on Tuesday, arriving home on Thursday. This means no real bike time and no swimming for two weeks, unless I find a pool in Zurich.  I hope to have a long ride on Saturday morning when I’m back home. 

TUESDAY EVENING 27^th October

As it turned out I did find a 50 metre pool in Zurich which was perfect.  It was a little weird however figuring out how to get into it.  Nothing straightforward about entering this pool.  You can't just pay your money and wander in. The only way in is via the change rooms. As there were no signs in English I guessed which door was the male entrance to the pool.  Got that wrong and ended up in the female change room.  I quickly scampered out. Then it was walking through a locker/change room, then a shower room, then a foot-wash room, then through a long room again with showers, in case you didn’t shower in the first room until finally I found my way out to the pool deck. Nothing seemed obvious to me and everything seemed obvious to everyone else.  I was having quite a chuckle.  Then into the pool only to find out that the lap direction is the other way which again felt a bit weird.  I did 40 laps and then had to find my way back out of the place.  Again it wasn’t real clear. I found my way out then walked back to the hotel, having managed the system without too much fuss and only a little embarrassment.  This morning I went back early and breezed straight through. Too easy.

I’m currently sitting in the Virgin Atlantic Lounge ay Heathrow which if you’ve not had the pleasure you really should try.  It’s all class. In an hour I’ll be boarding the 1030pm flight to Hong Kong & then on to Sydney. Can’t wait to back home with Gene and the kids

Tomorrow it will be nine weeks from the IM.  I’ll be home on Thursday morning and probably jet lagged, but the plan is to be on the bike each morning and swimming each lunch time.  I’ll also try a little run with Gene of an evening. Then I’m off again to Vancouver on the 10^th Oct ( I have a week at home) and from there to Florida for meetings, so eight weeks and seven weeks before Busso I’ll be away in North America again which will not help the training at all. I’m back in town on Saturday 22^nd Oct which is exactly 6 weeks out from the IM, so I’ll not be tapering like most others.  I’ll look to have a 1 week taper rather a longer one and see how we go.   

Following our meetings in Zurich it looks like we’ll end up working in China and I’ve told the client we can’t be there until after the IM on 4^th December. As it turns out our client contact is an ex-USA Navy Seal who is super fit and likes the idea of anyone doing an IM.  He lives in Arizona where he says loads of people come to train for triathlons.  And it was it was he who let me know where the pool in Zurich was.  So I’m safe until after Busso – if I’m still able to walk . . .

Back to Aus and the NZ Rugby World Cup where the Irish are awaiting elimination and the Wallabies are awaiting glory.