Our Monthly update from Mum with 3

The race against time…

As I write this, on a late Sunday evening, it hits me that in exactly 16 weeks at abou t this time o f night I will hopefully have just become an Ironman! It’s incredible that ano ther month o f training has flo wn by in the blink o f an eye, and we are getting closer and closer to this goal Over the last few weeks I have competed in a couple o f races which have helped me feel that I am on schedule The f irst race was a sprint triathlon; a top athlete will take more than half an hour to complete the 400m swim/24km bike/5km run that comprises a sprint triathlon I wasn’t that quick bu t happy with my result and enjo yed the event

The second race I completed was a little longer being a ‘half ironman’ distance involving a 1900m swim, a 56mile bike and a 13 1mile run The swim star t was the equivalent o f being inside a washing machine set to a fast spin cycle: o ver 250 people all swimming o ver each o ther searching for some open water to settle into their rhy thm Once I’d relaxed and could concentrate on my swim stroke, the rest felt good

Ou t o f the water and a run into the transition area They say that transition is the 4th discipline in triathlon and mine was a lo t to be desired. I struggled to get my wet suit o ff, dithered with my decision to wear socks, and took ages to pu t on my cycling glo ves I grabbed a handful o f suncream and set o ff with my bike, smearing the factor 70+ around my face and ears. An undulating course around the Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire countr yside and I felt strong for most o f the bike distance I practised my nu trition with what felt like constant eating and drinking along the way and tried to keep my effor t consistent

Back into transition, a change o f shoes and ou t onto the run And this is where it star ted to hur t. 13 miles o f running in increasing temperatures, the f inal few miles were no t pretty! Bu t I f inished and it was OK So all I have to do no w is double that distance. There’s still a long way to go and a lo t less time to do it in bu t, f ingers crossed, we are getting there Mumwith3 does Ironman