T minus 9 weeks – “Remember there’s no ‘I’ in team -(no but there is a ‘me’ if you look close enough)”
It’s a funny old game triathlon. It’s definitely not a game of two halves played by two equal teams of about eleven men (or whatever John Motson allegedly said). After all it’s a solitary sport – all about the trials & tribulations of you as an individual battling against your competitors, the environment and the limits of your body. Right? Errrr……. not in my book….
You see, I reckon that anybody who is training for, or competing in Triathlons (especially long distance events) needs a bit of a support structure, or team, around them. For some, it will be minimal. Perhaps a husband, wife or partner who just doles out a shed load of understanding. For others it involves coaches, training partners, mentors (and mentos – lovely mints, although I must stress that other sweets of a comparable nature are widely available) and medical backup.
I’m afraid I fall into the latter category. Maybe it’s because I played team sports all my life (Rugby from age dot, and I hope you don’t think I’m showing off here, to a widely recognised mediocre standard). Whatever, I just feel comfortable having people around me. Lack of confidence? Maybe but I reckon that this particular stool (no jokes – I know which direction they’re heading here) wouldn’t stand without three sturdy support legs.
Firstly, there’s my coach Martin Yelling. Blimey you must be good is often the reaction when the words “Simon & coach” are used. Wrong. I’m bloody useless actually. But Martin is only interested in me having a world class attitude rather than a world class talent. In return I get some great training plans, the benefit of an international professional athlete’s experience (who has competed at Kona – the holy grail of Ironman’s) and, probably most importantly somebody who recognises that for me less is more (i.e. he stops me over training).
Secondly, there’s my clinical back up. In other words, there’s Vicki and the team at HeadStart. Now I’ve been with Vicki since she first started out (she sometimes says that I’m probably her oldest client although she may be taking the “P” – she probably means in age rather than in length of association). She is an absolute Godsend. There is no doubt that the amount of training hours means that your body, over time, starts to get worn down. Vix always fixes me & not just physically. As an experienced athlete herself, she understands the pressure that completion brings – and she is always there to give a fresh perspective on things.
Finally there is my family & friends. Without my family I’d be nothing. The amount of time that I’m allowed to train, the amount I spend on my kit, the amount of jobs that don’t get done, the times that I fall asleep in the evening – all are forgiven (although the amount that I spend on my bike is “repaid” in shoes & clothes – remember I’m the only bloke in my house & four girls can’t half shop). Without my mates, I’d be pretty miserable too. Those training rides would be harder work, those long runs would be boring and after all if you can’t talk rear mechs, carbon rims and clinchers with your mates who can you talk to about them (unless I go on those obscure “specialist” web sites again).
Anyway thanks to you all (sniff – I’ve got a tear forming).
In terms of training I’ve had a steady week, coupled with a big weekend just gone (80 mile bike Saturday, 60 mile on Sunday with an hour run straight off – AKA a “brick” session). The rest of the week is fairly hectic including a brick session on Wednesday, an even bigger one on Saturday (100 mile ride / 30 min run) and a 10k on Sunday.
Still it’s all necessary – we’re getting closer to D-Day, or as Stuart Pearce once said “I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel”.
Tune in next week…
Simon
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