90(ish) Days to go!

5 weeks since the last blog...oops.

No excuses really, but you haven’t missed much. In summary: more swimming, more cycling, more running. I’ve been doing about 80-100 miles a week on the bike and 13-15miles running. Swimming has been a bit less consistent. Probably averaging at 3 miles a week.

Since I last ‘blogged’, I’ve done a couple of medium bike sessions (30-40 miles) followed by a medium run (8 miles). It feels a bit weird running off the bike. Almost like you’ve borrowed someone else’s legs. My tactic at the moment is to just lean forward and hope that my legs catch up with me and save me from landing on my face...seems to be working!...All about technique this ironman malarkey. I’ve also eaten copious amounts of insects whilst on the bike. They’ve started to become a source of nutrition on the longer rides...not a good idea really. Plenty of punctures recently too. Annoying and time consuming. Really hoping I don’t get a flat on the day.

In other news...having spent a few 5 hour sessions on the bike, I decided that a new saddle was in order. After about 3 hours it’s uncomfortable, 4 hours-it’s time to finish, 5 hours-I don’t want to do this anymore. In my quest to find the answer to an uncomfortable undercarriage I was advised to purchase some chamois cream, ‘to be applied generously to the groin and buttocks’ . Supposedly the answer to all saddle soreness...

As a general rule, I’d say that any exercise you need to ‘cream up’ in order to complete, shouldn’t be done. I’d managed to avoid creams prior to this, but I was willing to try anything to prevent another uncomfortable cycle. Time to embrace the lubricant.

So lube I did. It wasn’t the answer to all evils as it had been advertised, but it did help. Although, it’s thrown open the subject of hair removal...not yet. Not til next month.

Exams coming up over the next month so its revision time over the next 3 weeks or so. The plan is to really stick in some miles and hopefully peak for the ironman. I’m going to be entering the Weymouth half ironman over the next few days. It’s on June the 5^th and should give me some good race practice, with plenty of recovery time prior to the big thing! It’s getting closer!

Mark

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