Back in the saddle

When I started writing this blog it was all about improving on my race times, primarily by working on my running, and setting some new personal bests. What I didn't expect was to set a new personal best in the number of times I could get ill. So, if you're wondering where I've been over the last month, yet again I've been on my sick bed.

While I haven't missed any events this time round I did miss a good 10 days of training and, will I ever learn, trying to get back before I was fully healthy set me back even further. Despite being on a course of antibiotics for a chest infection I thought it would be a good idea to attend the club Sunday cycle a couple of weeks ago which involved a hill time trial.

Er, my saddle
This involved a leisurely cycle interspersed with racing up three hills, of varying distance and steepness, as quickly as we could. The first hill wasn't too bad, the second one almost killed me and the third one I managed to fall off my bike even before I started pedalling up it.Perhaps, in hindsight, it would have been sensible to give this one a miss.

My state of mind wasn't helped when during a post ride coffee the club chairman regaled us with a story about a member who had felt rather queasy during  a hill session, but carried on regardless, only to be hospitalised later in the day due to heart problems. The medical staff told him he was lucky to be alive and could have suffered major cardiac arrest if he'd decided to lie down at home. At that point I decided to head home for a lie down.

Two days later I was back at the Drs and on a further course of antibiotics. Contrary to what the Verve sang the drugs did work and I was healthy enough for the 20km time trial (on a relatively flat course) on the Sunday that has just passed. If I don't say so myself this was a lot more successful than the previous week and it seems that I'm just about recovered from my ailments.

And all in the nick of time as I have the final event in the EGTC Winter GP this Saturday, the club Sprint Triathlon. This involves racing against my fellow club members over a 500m swim, 26km cycle and a 5km run.

The weekend after this I have my first "proper" event of the season, the Sevenoaks Triathlon, which although still a Sprint distance involves a 400m swim, a 25km cycle and an 8km run.

While I'm not swimming quite at full capacity yet I'm confident my cycling will be up to scratch for these two events. But in terms of running, well, I think I've probably run twice in the last two months!

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