03. Radio silence…
So, it’s been a while… It’s now November.
Where to start? Let’s go back to May…
I bit the bullet and started swimming in public lanes on a Saturday morning at 7am. I am NOT a morning person. At the same time, the Belvior Triathlon Team were training. I watched them closely for about 2 weeks and then plucked up the courage to go over and chat to the coaches. The following week I was there for a trial session. I had no gear and no idea! Old leaky goggles, a cap that didn’t fit but I survived - I swam front crawl for an hour doing drills. I’ve never swam front crawl - even in past swimming events I have done its always been breaststroke.
After 2 weeks I had tendinitis in my knee - FFS… physio, strength exercises and some doubt in my bodys ability. I was back in the pool before I knew it and had splashed out on flippers, fins, goggles, cap, swimsuit. The thing about triathlons is that there is sooooo much gear and stuff to get carried away with. Think I’ll enjoy more shopping as this adventure continues.
Mum started chemotherapy on Monday 6 May. She has 8 sessions and will attend the chemo unit every two weeks. She will complete treatment if all goes to plan on 12 August. I don’t know how to share this part of the last 6 months in amongst everything else so I’m going to do a separate blog on that.
In May I also went and saw Dave, Dave from No Two Cycles. He is a absolute dude - retired from the Air Force and knows everything about bikes, cycling, training - just everything - he has a great workshop in our village. We talked through my challenge and as always he gave wonderful advice and options. I came away deciding that I needed to invest in a new bike (more triathlon gear shopping) given the fact that my current wheels are about 15 years old and just not quite up to scratch. There is no way I can sit on that saddle for 5 days on the trot cycling 200km!
I recognise that I can often make excuses to not go out cycling or running. It’s usually that Chris is away, it’s dark, I’m too tired, I have the kids, poor weather. So I decided that I would buy a Watt Bike with a wobble board rather than a road bike. That way, I had no excuse. I could cycle at night, I could cycle in the rain and I could cycle when Chris was away and I had the kids. I’d be warm, safe and dry at the house with the kids but on my Watt Bike. I can get a road bike after winter.
The day my new Watt Bike arrived I wasn’t in and Chris had it all set up for me - hero. However, I have not been in the same room as the bike, I have not sat on it and I have not touched it since it arrived about 5 months ago. By now we are in early June, I’m swimming once a week and have not cycled or ran for about 2 years. I have a mental block and barrier. I don’t believe in myself and I feel like I’ve set a challenge too big. So what do I need to do…
Break my foot, yes that’s right, I broke my foot. It happened on a Friday morning when I was dashing around like a crazy woman trying to get the kids out the house for nursery and pre-school. I kicked a wall by accident getting some socks - FFS. It took me 3 days before going into A&E and I even went swimming before getting the official news.
The foot and my mental block set the scene for the next 2 months. Limited exercise - no commitment or energy for the challenge. How was this happening when I have such a meaningful purpose to hold on to. Maybe it was a blessing, a way of removing things from my full plate to enable me to balance the important things at that time. My family - my gorgeous children and husband and travelling up and down the country to support my amazing mummy through chemo.
I was back in the pool (on my own as training is not on over the summer) and over the weeks of August I worked up to be able to swim 60 lengths in one swim session. It was a great moment knowing I could do the 1.5km distance. Now just need to keep it up and continue to refine technique and build stamina.
Swim training continued, still not touched the Watt bike and I still haven’t been out running…. will I break this mindset, will I make a plan to progress training, will I stop making excuses and just get on with this challenge?
