Here’s Jo having just racked her bike this afternoon. She’s very relaxed at the moment and it feels like she’s ready to go. I’ve everything crossed that she has a good race and will be doing whatever I can to help from the sidelines.

This is quite different from the run up to New Zealand – the day before the race there I just rested in preparation for race day. Here I’m fully mobile and starting to get fit. In fact, by this time next week I’m hoping I will be walking properly and perhaps have even tried a run. Anyway… back on topic. It’s making this all rather strange. This evening over dinner with my folks I was pretty quiet. All around us Ironmen are stuffing their faces with pasta – this rather surprises me that the type of person that will do all this training and research best training methods hasn’t researched enough to realise that a whopping bowl of pasta the night before a race when you’ve taper  all week is not the best idea. I’m getting sidetracked again…

Yes, I could see all these athletes and I was darn jealous. When I’m racing the night before the race I’d almost give anything for a face saving excuse not to race but now I don’t have to I’d love to be involved. It’s worse because I almost feel I could race. I wouldn’t race well… slowly getting back to fitness these past few weeks has made me realise just have fit I’d got myself in New Zealand at the start of the year. The volumes I was able to handle then are starting to look rather incredible in my eyes. If I was racing tomorrow I reckon I’d have a pretty good swim, would die on the bike about halfway through and the walk would take 10 hours ! Making the cutoff would be the challenge which would be quite an experience. Perhaps I shouldn’t have pulled out ;o)

This is making me more determined to get back fitter and stronger than before. This will start in earnest on my return to the UK. The plan is to get back in to doing everything to improve my fitness … so, booze will become a rare commodity, for instance.

This week I’ve stuck to my guns about having a slightly easier week. My longest ride has been 59 miles which included Tabeyesco. My friend Roger offered a bottle of champagne in the fridge when we house sit if I got under 30 minutes. His plonk is safe since I gave it my all and only managed 33:45 not close enough for me to even feel it’s worth giving it another crack. Pretty pleased with that though as I’m massively over my fighting weight and that alone would take minutes of it. Considering I took 52 minutes little over 3 weeks ago I’m pretty pleased. I’ve continued with my gym work, swum each morning and done a fair bit of aqua jogging – including my “long run” yesterday of 90 minutes including 40 minutes of intervals.

Finally got some tri bars on my road bike.

I’d set up this bike with an oval stem to allow for these clip-ons. They’re finally available. I’m pretty pleased with it though I’m yet to ride it. This will allow me to train on the aero bars on this bike and also gives me the option of racing on it. There’s a chance I will take this bike to New Zealand next winter.

I’m looking forward to my day of supporting and I’m also hoping it’s the last time I will be on the sidelines for an Ironman I’m at.