it’s been mentioned before on this blog; after the achievements of 2015, there has definitely been a period of adjustment, recovery, and really just re-establishing routines and getting back into the swing of things.
with the Australia Day Ultra training and race day done, recovery from that complete, and new horizons set, the past few weeks have seen things shift noticeably. The main thing for me is that I now feel every bit as excited, scared and focused as I did when I first headed out on the marathon journey.
a weighty issue
disappointingly, I also find myself sitting just below 130kg again, albeit in a much healthier and fitter state than when I got down to that level a few years ago. I also know that 110kg has been achieved before, and the 100kg barrier is a very realistic goal for me to be aiming for.
however, this isn’t just about weight – this is all tied up in a bigger picture that includes nutrition, training, fitness and ability levels. a bigger picture that I see as leading to exactly where I want to be; being the best version of myself that I can possibly be, living a full, active, healthy life, and creating experiences and adventures to enrich my life and inspire others.
renewed focus
over the past 7 weeks I have been training with the Perth Triathlon Club’s novice course, something that has added yet more fuel to my triathlon and Ironman dreams, improved my shockingly bad swimming, introduced me to the world of lycra (and the joys of cycling), and really pulled my focus back on track.
yesterday I took another step forwards – I went to see a nutritionist to get input and advice on ways in which I can fuel my body, lose weight, and eat healthily within the context of an extremely time-poor lifestyle (time with my son, work, training and other commitments all increase the risk of convenience eating)
the new plan
as a starting point, I am locking in 2019 as a mega year. It is the year that I will turn 50 (May), and will be the year that I complete the Australia Day Ultra 100km (January), and the year that I complete my first full distance Ironman 140.6 (hopefully December).
basically 2019 will be book-ended by 2 massive endurance achievements, with a milestone birthday celebration in the middle.
along the way there will continue to be a mix of running (including parkrun, marathons, ultras, trail running), regular cycling, more swimming, plus any other activity needed to improve my fitness, core strength, endurance and speed.
the goals are simple; under 100kg (currently thinking 95kg will be about right), complete 100km inside event cut-off (ideally 13 hours or less), complete a full Ironman 140.6 within cut-off.
along the way, other goals and milestones will necessarily fall. A sub-5 hour marathon, then sub-4:30 and maybe beyond that? Sub-25 minute 5km, sub-60 10k (and then on to the 50 minute milestone).
There will of course be milestones within triathlon as a whole (sprint distance, olympic distance, then half Ironman (70.3)) – I have a feeling there will also be some cycling and (perhaps) swimming goals that pop up along the way – after all, it is goals that provide focus, give a a sense of progress, and basically feel good when you achieve them!
the journey so far has been incredible – what comes next will be even more exciting. hope you stick around to see it unfold, and who knows, perhaps even be inspired to set some amazing goals for yourself 🙂