The Quest for M dot

Tonight I went to the steam room. Stay with me, this gets more interesting. I've been once again stuck down with a viral and bacteria chest infection. Having worked through my last course of steroids and antibiotics while maintaining my swimming training along with spinning and running, it seemed something was up when I relapsed only 3 days after finishing the drugs. The drugs don't work? They fecking well do. So back to the doctor and the trusty drugs while wondering how many steroids will show up in my system come 70.3 day. If I win I'll always wonder if it was the steroids. If I win? When I win. I decided this time to knock the training on the head for a week and just focus on extra sleep and feeling better. With no work next week I have plans for extra training since time allows so best be chest fit for that. But I still couldn't stay away from the gym. It's an addiction. One that takes time to grow but once you're in the groove you really miss it. ...

Its been a while since I decided to go on this Ironman journey and in that time I still cant seem to spell Triathlon right most of the time. Does that mean this is not for me I should just give up? Its a sign, a sign that if you cannot spell it, you shouldnt do it. Life lesson. Its been 6 months since I've last been on a bike and I was fearing the worst when deciding to take out the trusty steed for a quick spin on Sunday. It really didn't disappoint. The parts of me I forgot how to hurt hurt. those parts were everywhere. Turns out staying consistent has advantages. The lovely burny feeling in the quads and calves returned and it was beautiful. That feeling reminds me of fitness and I visualize that as getting fitter and getting strong. Success. Not that I can count today's cycle as success but it was a start. Just the small matter of no hills and no wind on today's route and still a struggle. A low winter sun peeped over the the hedges and empty fields aimed direct...

Why do old men always want to chat in the swimming pool? It's a not a bloody Turkish baths situation. Also in the showers. I don't need to be told that "it's nice to be under the hot water". I am under the hot water. I know its nice. All this after being told all about how hard swimming is, how hard life is, how running or walking are so hard and swimming is all he'll be able to do until he leaves this life, quote, unquote. A cheery Saturday evening all round really as the old man waits to die in the pool but is brought back to life by nice hot water. The gym closes early on a Saturday and I really didn't have time for idle life, death and hot water discussions. There was swimming to be doing or attempted anyway. Small talk aside I did achieve my 500m aim which to most swimmers probably doesn't seem like a lot but to me is amazing. Tou could say it went swimmingly. And yes by the end of the week having completed 2700m (a new weekly totals record obv...

Tonight due to a goggle malfunction, as in somehow forgetting them I was unable to swim. I did try but it's impossible to see. I switched my mind to the excuse of a recovery day. Last night's lesson and horrific sets of 100s left me wrecked. In total we completed 1100m, obviously more than I've ever completed before and it left me fecked, not so much muscle tired as tired tired. Lacking electrolytes. Similar to the after effects of a long cycle were you just want to drift off to sleep the second you get in the door. That and the continued bug I can't seem to shake off even though I'm pumped up on drugs it seems the verve were right. The drugs dont work, they just make you worse so go to the doctor and get yourself sorted out. Or similar. This feeling of very very tired continued today, and with added blocked sinuses pressure I decided to opt for a long steam room session to attempt to clear my sinuses and get some stretches done on my calves and quads. Given the ...

I smell of Chlorine. I really smell of Chlorine. I used to smell of BO but now it's consistently the stink of swimming pool chlorine. The wonderfully horrible stink of swimming pool, which can only mean one thing. I've been consistent, and to me now that smell is the smell of success, the smell that I am getting somewhere, putting in the hours and actually feeling like I'm improving. I even sweat now when I finish in the pool. Which is odd but strangely satisfying. I never knew I could do that. Another achievement. I am more confident in my stroke. Breathing to the right is somewhat successful and even though only 3 short weeks ago I was fully sure that breathing on every second stroke was too much for me it turns out is perfect. And guess what you go faster and are less tired! Who knew. Slowly but surely the jigsaw is coming together, the breathing, the arm strokes and the kick. There still is, and I assume always will be a lot of tweaking but for now, I'm relatively...

Tonight I am more tired than I possibly have ever been. And it's a strange tiredness. It's not muscle soreness tiredness. It's just full run down can barely stay awake will fall over when standing up relaxed tiredness. But it feels great. It feels like success. Like I'm getting somewhere. That or I'm just delusional and really tired. Swimming was good tonight. Breathing is easier and less paniced as is my stroke. I spend less time thinking about breathing as if that's normal and more on perfecting my glide and reach. High elbow. Always high elbows. It just goes to show that we don't always need to do something new. You don't always need to see improvements or push yourself so far that you end up hating whatever it is you are doing. Tonight was just that. Hard work, consistency and going the same thing over and over made the difference over the last few weeks. Like riding a bike when you're five. You just keep going and going and going. Rar...

While out running this afternoon I listened to a podcast that inspired me. Ironically it was about the difference, or shift change from being inspired to putting that inspiration into an action and therefore more than just an idea. This is me. This is totally me. I get inspired all the time. Its great. You'd love it. I get excited. I read the entire internet on the chosen subject (currently, obviously Triathlon). I question friends who know more than me. I buy lots of books and read bits of them. I research gear and equipment. I check prices. I check bank balance. I search for better prices. And then I get inspired by something else and I start all over again. Its great fun but the main problem is never getting anything done. Don't get me wrong I have done stuff but today really struck a cord that the research, the gear, others peoples opinions are not pretty much unimportant if they do not mean anything to you. I mean me. To me. So really this needs to be about me doin...