Ok, a week has passed and no updates, I hold my hands up and hang my head in shame. No real excuses other than actually stayed fit enough to train all week and I used all my energy on swim/bike/run/gym and very little left for anything else

First a quick update on the tropical weather in sizzling sunny Spain…  its been, how can we say,… changeable? Basically its like the UK but a few degrees warmer. I am told it is to be expected this time of year and the 20+ degrees we had on first arrival is the exception rather than the rule. This week is the same, with wet and windy days interspersed with sun.

Training wise I am pretty happy with the week, as its first full effort I have managed since early December.

Swim. I started on the Monday with a first swim at the local pool, wasn’t too busy so just did  some random intervals for an hour. I managed the same on Wednesday, although it got a bit busier. The place is very friendly but is probably going to be a bit restrictive once I get into serious intervals, so hopefully the weather will warm enough to enable me to get into the sea.

Bike. I managed three outside bike rides (plus a spin in the gym) for a total of 150+km. It was a bit windy at times but still better than could be expected elsewhere in early February, and going out for a spin weekdays in still nice as the traffic is so much quieter than U.K. or Japan. I have just been exploring the various roads , seems anything over 30 minutes in a straight line and I will hit the foothills, so even the flat one hour rides will give me a 2-300 meters of ascent, with Saturdays ride of 2:45hr  giving me over 600m climbing – week was . If the weather holds this week I want to try some of the steeper bits and do over 1000m.

Run. Running hasn’t been bad either with 3 runs completed, the longest of 90 minutes and a grand total of 35km. No intervals or speed work, just putting in the miles at reasonable pace and easing back into training. My legs hurt afterwards but once I fight through the first few km, I can get back into a reasonable rhythm. (call out to coach Rob Cummins and his post at the weekend that motivated me to get off my arse and run Sunday. http://tricoach.ie/robs-blog-chasing-kona-week-two-cool/#more-11188 )

I also discovered Strava! I signed up for it a couple of years ago, but never used as I am very technophobic, I have been happy with using my Garmin and Garmin Connect for all the details. But while stuck indoors one stormy afternoon I started playing with my phone and clicked on the Strava App. And slowly slowly I start to realise why it’s so addictive. I belong to two clubs, my old Tri group in Tokyo and my yet to ride with group here in Spain. I quickly discovered I could see what everyone had done, then I saw club leader boards with hours and distance, then I found the holy grail, the Segments!! Ooh, I can see the rankings of everyone who has ever completed the various segments of each run and bike ride I have done over here. And it shows me right down in the bottom 10%…. now if you have only one competitive bone in all your body, knowing that your feeble efforts, ranked alongside everyone else’s, are visible to the world then that is a real motivator to get out there and try harder to move up the list. I posted on my previous blog about how the praise for my efforts from non-triathletes rings a little hollow when compared with those who do the sport, and Strava highlights this perfectly, clearly showing how far back in the pack I am, not just against the serious boys and girls, but just about everyone who has ever ridden or run here!

So now armed with my Strava App to keep me motivated, a week of proper training under my belt, no signs of my colds returning and at least three weeks left of without travelling, I am ready to re-appraise what I want to do this year, work out how I am going to achieve it, and then most importantly get my arse out the door to ensure I do!

Its pissing down with rain outside, but I will have at least 3 sunny days with temperature above 10 degrees this week, so I am positive and ready to roll.