Just back from a fairly hideous run. Following from the race at Bedford on Sunday I have got straight back into a full week of training. Must admit to feeling fairly shattered today and my early morning run reflected that.Made the mistake of not taking a gel before I set off and as a result felt very flat,my legs felt slow and heavy and definitely felt a sugar low! However as I write the rain is tipping down outside so I am pleased I got it over with before the downpour.I really admire triathletes in this country - a lot of dedicated people get out to train in all weathers. The elites have their winter bases in the sunshine but the majority of age groupers(which make our sport so successful) have to train here all year come rain or shine. it must make us the toughest competitors in the world I reckon!  Tomorrow I have my first big brick session - thankyou Will : )  so I am hoping the sun will shine and I won’t be dodging rain drops and Sunday a few of us are going to Eastbourne to do a sea swim and bike ride with some lunch to follow! 

It has been a while since I entered anything here.I am settling back into a training regime of sorts and finding training to intensity quite tough at the moment. Swimming is going well and I am enjoying sessions on the bike. I am doing the chain gang bike session with the lads at VO2 which makes me work very hard and pushes me physically and mentally. I also have done a couple of timetrials which I have really enjoyed and would like to do more of.Running is the tough one to get back to  and the discipline I will be working at over the coming weeks as I prepare for a 1/2 marathon at the beginning of August. Today I competed in the Bedford Classic Triathlon where I realised that I had not ran 10km since May! The swim was in a quite narrow river and it was extremely reedy!Hands, face and wetsuits got covered! Had a good swim despite this and exited for the bike leg. The bike section was rolling with some very fast sections. It was,however,very windy and I am beginning to wonder if I will race on a day thats not windy ever again!I had a plod of a run - I was in marathon mode and for standard distance you cannot afford to be!The field was fast and furious as it was a qualifier for both the world and european champs. It was a good measure of where I am at the moment and I am ready to step up the training now.  

It has been a good return to training. The sun has shone and I have quite enjoyed just training without monitors etc.The first session I did without any way of measuring the session,apart from a watch, felt quite odd. I felt quite vulnerable without the numbers on my wrist telling me what my physiology was up to! But as the week has gone on I have enjoyed just going out to bike or run and going by ‘feel’. It has  reminded me that sometimes it is good to let go of the things we rely on so much and go with the flow! I have also been reminded that I heard that Chrissie Wellington won her first Kona race without the aid of a HRM.So I shall continue for a few more days to train by feel and resist ordering the powertap parts I need………