Got to say, I didn’t think I would be writing a hopes and dreams/goals blog leading up to a full distance triathlon, certainly not in July. With plans chopping and changing throughout the winter with race postponements and a knee injury putting any full distance triathlon plans into doubt, it is fair to say training hasn’t been textbook.

I’ll give a quick roundup on the training and injury then go into the plan and hopes for race day.

So training as I said, has not been the textbook 20+ weeks of graft. Swimming pools were closed until 12th April, I left it a week after that before starting swim training on 19th April, which gave me 11 weeks of swimming which I feel fine with. I have actually really enjoyed my swim training this year and as a result, I have progressed well which culminated in a 70.3 swim PB at the Cholmondeley Castle Triathlon 2 weeks prior to Ironman UK.

The bike training has been that one consistent block. I got back on the bike on the 14th December one week post-COVID-19 and my heart rate was sky-high. This went on for around 10 days before things started to settle down. In Jan & Feb I decided to increase the volume to build some good endurance before building speed and strength. I feel stronger on the bike, able to hold higher watts for longer with a lower heart rate. The key is to pace it over the 112 miles.

The running has been the weaker element of the three disciplines in this training cycle. Usually, for me, running is my strong point. Over winter I missed 17 weeks of running due to knee tendonitis, only starting back running on the 31st January. By starting back I mean 1 mile. It wasn’t until 3rd May, 9 weeks out from race day, when I started the proper run training with speed sessions, speed endurance and long runs etc. Up until then, I had just been jogging up and down the canal for 4 mile easy paced runs. Since the 3rd May, the running has come on well. The speed sessions with my run club, City of Stoke AC have really improved and I got the long run out to 20 miles. I ran a 10k PB at the Tatton Park 10k one month before Ironman UK and ran my 2nd fastest half marathon at Cholmondeley Castle Tri and that was off the bike on a challenging route.

The key thing with the run is going to be pacing it, with so much missed running I just don’t know if I have that endurance base built up for a 26.2 mile Ironman run.

The other issue in training has been this knee injury. Missing the 17 weeks over winter was not good and it really affected me mentally. Not being able to do what I love was tough then catching COVID-19 during that spell compounded things. Since then I have come back strong and the run fitness is improving week on week. The knee still is not 100% pain free, I have discomfort walking up and down stairs still and I can feel it during the first 10 minutes of any run. For now, it is just something I am managing. The physio work has really improved things and we are getting there slowly. I don’t believe the injury will impact race day besides the missed training but I think it will be ok.

My Race Plan:

I feel so grateful just being in a position where I am pinning that number onto my race belt and lining up at the start of Ironman UK or any race for that matter. Firstly because 2020 and early 2021 has been so bad for races and events being cancelled, just racing again now feels like an honour, not something we once took for granted. Secondly, even just 9 weeks ago I wasn’t sure whether I would be fit enough to consider racing a 140.6 mile Ironman.

For 9 weeks my goal has been to make this startline and then enjoy the day and make the most of it.

Over time as fitness has improved, swim times improved and confidence in my running improved, that goal then shifted. Now I have three goals for Sunday.

• A Goal: Beat my 4:47.35 run PB from 2018
• B Goal: Beat my 1:26.35 swim PB from 2018
• C Goal: Finish the race!

For me, anytime I race an Ironman or 70.3, finishing the race has to be one of the goals, it is a long day of racing and finishing is something you cannot take for granted.

My B goal of beating my swim PB is something I feel I can achieve, a few weeks ago I swam 1:06.58 for the 3,800m in the pool. Factoring in the early race start, swimming with others and my general slower pace swimming open water, I feel something in the region of 1:15 – 1:20 is achievable on Sunday.

My A goal of running faster than 2018 may sound like a strange one after all I said above about missing so much run training and not knowing whether I have that endurance base just yet, however, that run in 2018 was really bad. I suffered really bad with dehydration and fatigue from the bike that year. That run time is over 1hr 46 slower than my standalone marathon PB so I would like to think that I can chip away at that time. I am not going to put down a target pace or time other than beating 4:47.

I am not targetting any PB on the bike leg simply because the only other time I did an Ironman in 2018, that bike leg was reduced to 95 miles so to be trying to beat that time on a course that is 17 miles longer would just result in me going too hard and suffering on the run once again.

I have no overall time goal, it’s a different day, different weather and different bike route. What I would like to do is finish high than 783rd overall and 158th in my age group. I see the race position as a better measure than the race time. If I can improve my ranking then I can say I have improved over the last 3 years.

Check out the IRONMAN UK 2021 RACE RECAP to see whether I hit these goals or crashed & burned trying.