Training Networks

Saturday's 95 minute hill run was exhausting but necessary as it made me very aware that I needed a few days' rest. I have not had more than 24 hours of break since my 150km duathlon two weeks ago and my legs are really starting to fatigue. So I'm having a couple of days off and a light week (less than 3 hours in total) to rejuvenate before the Southern Lakes Half Marathon 27 March.

Saturday's run and a chat today with Jenny (an old school mate and now friend of my wife) has further expanded my network of training partners by two. I now have a core group of about four or five running partners I can call on any time and a bunch of about 7 guys that I can run with once a week over the winter, two cycling partners plus the winter runners to cycle with over the summer and two or three casual open water swimming partners and a potential swim squad once I start lessons after Easter. I also have access to an elite age group triathlete and my massage therapist (who is also training for ironman and who trains several elite distance runners) for advice on various aspects of the sport.

These informal networks are great as they provide inspiration, motivation and sometimes that extra drive to make me train just that little bit harder. Most are not into triathlon and actually I think that helps a little because it means that they are usually focussed on the discipline I train with them for and they are able to help me with that discipline. I get the specialist triathlon advice from people with expert knowledge and that helps.

Hell, this makes me sound like a pro, but my philosophy is that I want to learn as much as I can about the process of training over the next 12 months and not just blindly do the training so that I can finish. I think I get as many kicks out of learning how my body works and how to make it do things it shouldn't be able to do as I do out of the events themselves.