I was weak.
I got better.
I'm going to get better still.
Like I've said before, last year with its two sprint triathlons was the prologue to this years stage 1, and now that Lochgilphead has come and gone, the triathlon season has finished and I think now is a good time to step back and reflect on what I've done.
About a year ago, my big brother Ciaran was talking me into signing up for Lisboa Middle Distance triathlon. I'd completed two sprint tris in around about 2 hours each. I'd set a new PB for a 10k run of 57:09. I was in the best shape I'd been in physically for at least 4 or 5 years. I knew to get into triathlon I needed to upgrade from my cheap as hybrid, which brought me to Evans during the sales and my wonderful piece of carbon. Best purchase.
In November I bought myself a turbo trainer, and between my lack of enthusiasm for that, and my shocking swimming technique, I knew training solo was not going to work out for me, which led me to the Glasgow Traithlon Club. Joining the club ranks alongside signing up for Lisboa as greatest decisions of the year.
Over the winter I did a lot of swimming and running sessions, and the coaching (obviously) has been instrumental in the massive gains I've made. Being surrounded by like minded people of all ages and abilities gave let me reference points to show what I could do and how I was progressing. And progress I did.
More important than that though was the easy friendships and support offered by people all round the club. Turning up for my first club ride from Pollock Park late in winter I was nervous - I didn't know anyone, I was weak on the bike and the weather wasn't too great either, but soon I was on the road with Alastair, Jo & Charlotte and everything was hunky dorey (well, except for the weather and the punctures), ending with a cake & hot chocolate stop, and no need to be nervous turning up for one of those group rides, because you could be as weak on the bike as I was back then, but you know you'll get help along the way.
Onwards. The group rides started a bit more often, and my bike skills slowly started to improve. At Stirling Sprint Duathlon I found that just by wearing Glasgow club kit you got cheered on, as there was a name to shout, and that GTCers are very vocal in support of their own, even when they don't know you yet. Then came the Aberfeldy Spring Training camp, which was all about hanging out with a great bunch of folk, making new friends and pushing myself & finding out how poor nutrition strategy wipes you out after getting talked into the longer cycle route and under fueling myself such that I was wiped out & weak as a kitten by the end (still, best decision of the weekend to do that route).
Lisboa approached and the support from all round varied; by now my mates had accepted the oddity that I was up to and even my lack of drinking & were all behind me, including Jamie o'er in Afgahnistan, pushing me on as he pushed himself; supprt from around the club was great, even if I was looking a little (ahem) underprepared for it, but support at work was unfortunately mixed. There were plenty of folk who were impressed with what I was about to attempt, but there were others who were downright condescending, calling me mad to my face in a very disparaging way. But then they tended to be fat, unfit and wouldn't know what exercise was if it jumped up and slapped them in the face.
And then of course there was my family. Spread out across the country and the globe, emails of support and encouragement flash back and forth between us on a regular basis, and we've become a self feeding encouragement group. Its fantastic!
Lisboa, what can I say, the toughest race of my life and the beginning of something special I think. Many thanks to Heike, David, Seb & Ele for their support throughout the weekend. The support from the crowds and volunteers was immense on the day. Before the race, I hadn't done the distance in each of teh individual elements, so it was a massive step up, far bigger than it should've been if I'd trained better, but I am immensly proud of myself for doing it, even with the pain.
The following week I was lap counting in Bishopbriggs pool, and a cracking day that was. Soon I was back racing at Strathclyde Park, where a shoddy run leg following by a conversation with Vikky began the ongoing transformation of my running style and the reduction in ITB problems. Not long after, I went to Stirling and did my first sub 1:30 sprint triathlon, then crushed 2010's 10k PB by 12 minutes 2 weeks after that. Tighnabruach came soon after and a sub 1:25 finish (by 1 second mind!). That weekend was perfect; the weather, the race & the friends.
With nothing on the radar for a couple of months I did slacken off a bit over the summer, pulling in a few longer rides, but just generally ticking over, untill the Aberfeldy Middle distance where I put down a marker time for myself in a half marathon; a marker time I expect to be able to quickly lower. My first standard distance race came soon after, on an up and down strathclyde park course, which while I am pleased with how I have progressed, on the day I was still annoyed that I hadn't trained properly for it. But my bike leg was a little better than I'd feared & my run if taken to the full 10k would've been my 2nd fastest 10k run.
Then was 'Gilp, the day after a wedding, where I'd spent the morning with a grim red wine hangover, wet and windy, still feeling a bit grim, way off my game, but it was another sub 1:30 and at the end of the day, lots of fun with a lot of friendly faces from the club. Had I been in the race the year before, I would've struggled round in about 2 hours, then shuffled to my car to drive home on my tod to lie around in pain. Instead I happily stood in the rain cheering on the rest of the club on the course from the later waves before hitting the pub with a bunch of mates. The increase in physical & mental strength over the year has been phenominal and my mind still boggles at what I have achieved this year. Talking to Seb after Gilp, he pointed out to me the massive diffence he's seen from me fighting to get round in Lisboa to the controlled strength at Gilp, and that on that days performance, even though it would take a long time, he reckoned at current level, even if it was slow, I could finish an Ironman
And you know what, if I had to, I could finish one tomorrow.
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