Rookie goes for 3 in a row at Ironman UK Week 17 of 40
Areet?
I read a fascinating article recently and it said something along the lines of ‘What is the point of training all the time if you hardly ever enter any races”
Now, This article struck a real chord with me….
You see, whilst I train on a daily basis, I now only ever enter one race each year.
That race is Ironman UK..
Explaining why this is the case gives me the opportunity to talk about something that I have been meaning to chat about for a while.
As you know, I have already completed every race distance there is, super sprint, sprint, Olympic, 70.3 & IMUK together with 2.5k, 5k, 10k, 20k and mara run races inbetween.
Now to me, those races were not ‘races’ at all….
They were stepping stones…
Stepping stones to something amazing….
Ironman UK isn’t just ‘better’ than any other race or event I have ever entered…
Its on a completely different planet mate….
Why is it on a completely different planet?
Many many reasons….
Way too many to go into here….
But one of the biggest reasons is because of the tens of thousands of wonderful supporters that line the entire circuit on race day, all of whom will treat you like a legend…..
Why do they treat you like a legend?
Because, my friend, as far as the vast majority of those wonderful supporters are concerned, what you are doing (completing the Ironman) would never be possible for them…..
I repeat….
As far as the vast majority of those wonderful supporters are concened, what you are doing (completing the Ironman) would never be possible for them.
Here’s the thing…..
When I look into the eyes of those wonderful supporters on race day….
I tell them something…
What do I tell them?
You really want to know?…
OK……
I tell em that I am finding it easy….
And I act as if I am finding it easy too….
Now, can you imagine for one second how they react to me when I say that?
The look on their faces and they way they respond to me….
It will stay with me for the rest of my days…..
That is why I train….
To experience their love….
But I also train for another reason….
Someone once said to me that training for Ironman isn’t just something you will do once, training for Ironman is a fantastic way to live your life on a daily basis….
I initially dismissed their comment as ‘nonsense’
However, I now know that statement to be true…
Training for Ironman is a fantastic way to live your life on a daily basis…
Its all about the way you feel …
Like you could take on the world and win..
Everyday….
Don’t believe me?…..
Come and train for one yourself and you will soon find out what I mean….
Speaking of training, here is how mine went this week…
Sat 19th…47 Mile IMUK loop from Croston as I couldn’t be arsed driving to Babylon….3:13…. Never really got going today…There was an ice cold, swirling headwind from the outset and throughout…The loop is a very harsh place to be on a day like this….”alright pal?” one lad said to me as he came stomping past at the top of a snow sprinkled sheephouse….”fookin freezing” I replied….”That’s because you have got your shorts on”…… He made a very valid point….Think I need to go and have a word with that PT at the gym and ask him where he got his tights from…. www.strava.com/activities/2089765609
Sun 20th…Sunday 10k ish… 55:51 in ‘tights’….Couldn’t really be arsed with it but as always, glad I went after….also glad I wore ‘tights’…not girl tights mind…..man tights….
Mon 21st…Pool Mile…37 mins….Had a lane to myself for 30 lengths….lad gets in…kindly stands by the wall for a bit to make sure I am aware of his presence….waits for me to pick my side….I stay right…..he stays left….Worked like clockwork without saying a single word to eachother….That’s Bolton for you cock…..
Tues 22nd…Weights session at David Lloyd Bolton…An Ironman finisher top doesn’t cut it here…They are all like…”AND?”….”What do you want Rookie?….A Fookin Lollipop?”…..
Weds 23rd…..Its TT night but If you think I am going doing a 10 Mile TT on an ice rink you can think again….30 minute watt bike instead…My god….
Thurs 24th…Pool mile….Had a couple of the tri-rivington boys in the lane next to me…Considered ‘giving them a go’..That idea lasted all of 30 seconds…
Fri 25th..Weights session in the gym…I think i’m in the early stages of dementia as I could not for the life of me remember which locker was mine…….As virtually everyone at my gym has an identical padlock, I found myself wandering around the changing rooms fiddling with other peoples padlocks like some sort of ‘not right’……..IMUK loop planned for tomoz…If I can remember which way I am meant to be going that is….
Give us a ‘Go on Rookie’ if you see us out on the loop later….
Like this article? so will your mates – feel free to share it and don’t forget to ‘add’ me on FB where you will find my daily training log for 2018/19 updated daily, as it happens
By the way, have you heard about this book? its nearly 500 pages crammed full of hints and tips detailing exactly how I was able to go from zero fitness to completing an Ironman triathlon and covers super sprint, sprint, olympic 70.3 & full iron distances all from a ‘first timer’ perspective – please take a moment to read the reviews on amazon www.amazon.co.uk/Secrets-Ironmen-Iron-Rookie/dp/1974002322/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540676777&sr=8-1&keywords=iron+rookie
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