At the start of this week, I was feeling quite positive about Wales. I'd had a good rest/recovery week, had a good massage, I'd had my painful ice bath. I'd been eating well. Foam rolling. Drinking the beetroot juice. All the training had been done.
My targets for Wales were the same as they would have been for Bolton: Qualify for Kona. I'd take that, however I get it. I'd rather not rely on the roll-down at the awards ceremony - I've experienced this last year and it's a terrible experience. I'd like to cross the finish line knowing I've done it, and not have any uncertainty. Ideally I'd like to challenge to win my age group, although this is a big ask. It would be great to get a podium in my age group and finish in the top 3. This would get me an Ironman trophy, which would be nice. Top 5 in my age group would get me a Kona slot. The weather looks good for the weekend, which is one less thing to worry about.
I've made an educated guess based on past results that I need something like 10 hours and 10 minutes to qualify. I think this is do-able, but far from easy. It could turn out that 9:55 might not be good enough to qualify, or it could turn out that a 10:25 would qualify. You just don't know.
I need to swim 60 minutes. I'll allow myself 10 minutes for the long first transition. I biked 5:53 last year and wasn't too pleased with that. I'd need to do something like 5:35 - 5:40 this year. I give myself 5 minutes for the second transition. I ran 3:34 last year and again wasn't happy with this at all. I need to do 3:20 or so this year. That gives 10:10 in total. Which I think would be there or thereabouts, and which I think I am capable of doing if everything goes well.
Buuuuuuuut, in keeping with my "tradition" of not having great fortune in my Ironman races, I have developed a sore knee in the last couple of days. I wouldn't have been too surprised if it had been my dodgy left knee, but it was my right knee this time. It just got sore, and it just hurts to put weight on it when it is bent. Stairs are hard work. It's not a great situation. I don't really know why it got sore. I did a couple of things that weren't "routine" for me in the last week, but they weren't risky. I rode my road bike on Tuesday night rather than my triathlon bike, as my triathlon bike was getting serviced. I slept a bit awkwardly one night. I stretched with a pillow rather than a cushion on Monday night. Small things. I did much "worse" in France, lifting and carrying stuff, sleeping on a hard camping mat, battering up long mountain roads...
But for whatever reason, my damn right knee is sore. I've been icing it and taking anti-inflammatories. I tried an easy 20 minute bike earlier this evening and I seemed to get away with it, but an easy 20 minute bike is hardly a tough 10-hour Ironman. It doesn't inspire great confidence, going into an Ironman with a knee that I have no idea will hold out. Saying that, at least it wasn't painful during the 20-minute bike earlier today.
There isn't much I can do at this stage other than to rest it, ice it, take some anti-inflammatories, and hope for the best. It might be absolutely fine, and give me no problems. Or I might not even make 3 miles on the bike. Or it might give up halfway round the bike. Or I might get through the bike and then just not be able to run. I have no idea.
Argh. Again.
My targets for Wales were the same as they would have been for Bolton: Qualify for Kona. I'd take that, however I get it. I'd rather not rely on the roll-down at the awards ceremony - I've experienced this last year and it's a terrible experience. I'd like to cross the finish line knowing I've done it, and not have any uncertainty. Ideally I'd like to challenge to win my age group, although this is a big ask. It would be great to get a podium in my age group and finish in the top 3. This would get me an Ironman trophy, which would be nice. Top 5 in my age group would get me a Kona slot. The weather looks good for the weekend, which is one less thing to worry about.
I've made an educated guess based on past results that I need something like 10 hours and 10 minutes to qualify. I think this is do-able, but far from easy. It could turn out that 9:55 might not be good enough to qualify, or it could turn out that a 10:25 would qualify. You just don't know.
I need to swim 60 minutes. I'll allow myself 10 minutes for the long first transition. I biked 5:53 last year and wasn't too pleased with that. I'd need to do something like 5:35 - 5:40 this year. I give myself 5 minutes for the second transition. I ran 3:34 last year and again wasn't happy with this at all. I need to do 3:20 or so this year. That gives 10:10 in total. Which I think would be there or thereabouts, and which I think I am capable of doing if everything goes well.
Buuuuuuuut, in keeping with my "tradition" of not having great fortune in my Ironman races, I have developed a sore knee in the last couple of days. I wouldn't have been too surprised if it had been my dodgy left knee, but it was my right knee this time. It just got sore, and it just hurts to put weight on it when it is bent. Stairs are hard work. It's not a great situation. I don't really know why it got sore. I did a couple of things that weren't "routine" for me in the last week, but they weren't risky. I rode my road bike on Tuesday night rather than my triathlon bike, as my triathlon bike was getting serviced. I slept a bit awkwardly one night. I stretched with a pillow rather than a cushion on Monday night. Small things. I did much "worse" in France, lifting and carrying stuff, sleeping on a hard camping mat, battering up long mountain roads...
But for whatever reason, my damn right knee is sore. I've been icing it and taking anti-inflammatories. I tried an easy 20 minute bike earlier this evening and I seemed to get away with it, but an easy 20 minute bike is hardly a tough 10-hour Ironman. It doesn't inspire great confidence, going into an Ironman with a knee that I have no idea will hold out. Saying that, at least it wasn't painful during the 20-minute bike earlier today.
There isn't much I can do at this stage other than to rest it, ice it, take some anti-inflammatories, and hope for the best. It might be absolutely fine, and give me no problems. Or I might not even make 3 miles on the bike. Or it might give up halfway round the bike. Or I might get through the bike and then just not be able to run. I have no idea.
Argh. Again.
Pain bath
Offending knee
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