Break Your Limits

….‘Congratulations on your selection to the Great Britain team for the 2009 ITU Long Distance Triathlon Championships in Perth. This letter confirms your place on the team‘ said the email from the British Triathlon Federation.  I never thought it would happen (More like I hoped it wouldn’t happen), me, represent my country, wow, “all you have to do is put your name down and you’re pretty much in” someone said, which did slightly take the shine off the prestige of representing your home Nation. But, nevertheless, I’m ‘in’, and I guess I’d better start training.

For the first week of serious training, I decided to contract the flu, and boy did it knock me for six (Just like England did against Australia in the Ashes – good work chaps). 2 days off work and no training for 5 days, I started to panic.

“Raymond, I’ve lost all my fitness, will I ever get it back?”

“No you won’t, it’s over” I think his answer was jokingly – but this time I think he was right, or so it felt.

Some gentle Raymond training for 3 weeks to ease myself back into the routine, and all of a sudden it’s time for the City to Surf ½ marathon. After an early ‘gun’, it’s up the hill I went, a quick “hello” to Raymond as I ran past (And if I may digress, I’d like to take this opportunity to add that this it not the first time I’ve run past you is it Ray? 2009 Busselton ½ IM, a moment I will never forget – sorry Ray, I just couldn’t resist) and from that point on, I knew it wasn’t going to be my day. My legs felt like they belonged to someone else, and when they did vaguely come back and feel like my own, it seemed like I was carrying the rest of the 21Km runners on my back. People were passing me left right and centre. Uphill or down, they just kept coming past, and there was nothing I could do to keep up. 1 hour and 28 minutes later, I crossed the finish line, a moment in my life that I never thought would come, or come soon enough. That, I thought, was my worst race ever, although deep down, I somehow knew there were plenty more to come.

So, with the C2S behind me for another year, and after a spin class, a 3Km swim and an early morning track running session with Mr Raymond, I find myself sitting here with aching legs writing this blog, probably sending you all to sleep…..

Goodnight!