Training has really ramped up over the last few weeks leaving me feeling tired but happy. The structured training has kept me away from injuries whilst also meaning that I am training more than ever before. Hence I feel tired, but I never get too tired as my plan will pull me back before I go too hard.
We have been doing more brick sessions lately, which is when you put two of the disciplines together back to back. Most commonly when you do a bike session and then immediately run once you are off the bike. Last year I used to do an leisurely 20k flat cycle followed by a ten minute jog and give myself a pat on the back. This year I’m doing 50km hill repeats on the bike followed by a 30 minute run which can be hard or easy depending on the week’s training.
These brick sessions have gotten me used to the idea of running when my legs are fatigued. It has been tough but enjoyable. As each cycle came to a close I wondered how I was going to manage the run on my tired legs but somehow it happened. On one of my hard runs I had a friend (a far fitter friend) with me. Of course my “hard” was her “easy” pace so she stayed alongside me and helped to motivate me through the session. The adrenaline coursed through my veins, the fatigue in my legs and raised heart rate made me feel like I was in a race. I felt like I was “running”… when you are slower than me this is a rare feeling, usually it feels more like jogging/trotting/stumbling. I visualised myself at the world champs giving it everything I had. I have often heard elite triathletes talk about the end of a race, where they thought any minute they were about to give up but they just kept going and suddenly… somehow… they won. This started to make sense to me. The battle against the mind can be what makes a good race and what makes a bad race. Now of course, everyone’s idea of what a good race is different, for some it is to win, for others (like me) it is to complete it without walking.
This year my training has proven to me that so much of the “I can’t do this” idea in my head, is exactly that, just an idea in my head and not the actual truth. My body can do it, sure it hurts a lot but it can do it, and if I remain positive then my body can do it quite well. I am feeling much more positive in my approach now. Yes I’m tired but more importantly I am happy! 
P.s. The road to the Agegroup ITU Triathlon World Championships is a pricey one so if there are any companies interested in sponsoring me you contact me here!
