On a downer - The race at Kinloch

I have stopped work to do this - I need to get this off my chest - it is making me miserable.
What is you might ask? It must be something really important.

The answer is it isn't important really but it matters to me.

I had a really bad swim at my race last weekend. After the euphoria of my last race swim I have come down to earth with a bump. I feel disappointed all round really.

All the work on the swimming in the pond and pool. I think I got trapped amongst slower swimmers and spent time looking around me. But I worked really hard.

The bike was extra hard this year instead of 3 laps they made it 2 and it took in a really big hill which was harder than my bike training was good for but I managed it not fast but comfortably and my bike was rideable. And I know that I haven't done enough work on the bike. It is where it should be a month before my first race of the season. So next year my first race will be Rotorua at the end of November and my cycling should be where it is now but at the end of October.

The run was the same 4 lap with small hills affair which I ran strongly and finished with a flourish thus achieving my goal but only 2 minutes faster than last year. But last year I hadn't run much in the month prior to the race and it started hurting on lap 3.

I think with the exception of swimming I am just impatient to be competitive and faster. I don't like the idea of being 36 th out of a hundred. But I know it takes time. It also takes confidence to put in the effort and pace required. It is still only my second Olympic distance race in 14years.

My final race for this year is on the 13 March in Wellington, the national champs so I will get a real reality check as to where I am (get my arse kicked). Although the course is flat and I have the tough Kinloch race under my belt so armed with that knowledge I plan to push a bit harder on the bike and run and try to have a good swim.

Now with my therapy session over I can get some work done (business is booming) and go for a run.

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.