"2nd Time Round"

Well here I am, back at the computer writing on a blog that I started just over a year ago! It was here that I laid out my training, both good and bad..... my dreams and my goals. It was here that I sat at the end of each week recording facts and figures, photos and those infamous quotes that I would spend literally ages trying to find just the right one to go with that weeks words.. :)

Where have I been you may ask. Well after Ironman i took a short break and then hit training (minus the swimming) for the Busselton 70.3. After not such a good race (stomach issues throughout the run) i spent some more time just chillin' . Riding took on a whole new focus for me and that was the infamous coffee stop....... I'd spend a great deal of time sorting out a new place each week to stop for coffee along with which route we would take. With the focus being off training, the rides became fun and enjoyable. A nice change knowing that soon the serious stuff would start all over again. With a little bit of running thrown in just for good measure..the past few months have been quite enjoyable.

However... isn't there always a however!!!!!! I have managed to add a few extra unwanted kilos to my frame which was fun while i was doing it but not so much fun now that the serious stuff is about to happen... oh well!!! I also did very little swimming. I had been having some shoulder problems towards the end of Ironman training last year and this just seemed to get worse leading up to the 70.3. Physio appointments, specialist appointments, many appointments with an occupational therapist and 2 cortisone injections later and sadly I still have some problems. ... Its certainly improved alot ( i can hang up the washing and wash my hair now !!) but its still not 100% and it will be interesting to see how it holds up over the training program.

So ... onto the Ironman training program. This year its a little different. I still have the same coach , Brad Hosking from The 6th Discipline ( aka my little , but amazing brother) but this year he has put a squad together. There are 6 males and 6 females ( just worked out like that) . We all got together last week , shared a little of our histories and our goals for Busselton and then got the first 4 weeks of the program. Among us there were some who will be attempting their first Ironman and some who have done 4,5 and even 6 races!!!! I'm sure over the next 18 weeks we will get to know each other pretty well ... warts and all.
I remember last year waiting to start the program was filled with excitement and some anxiousness ... and this year is much the same.
I'm hoping you will come along for the journey again this year.
So roll on August the 1st!!!! See you then!