It might sound like a lot of time left, but really, it isn't. I've got 9 weeks recorded here already (haven't they flown by?!) and another 20 weeks under my belt before I started recording this. It's taken a long time to get where I am already, and there's less than that amount of time left to get me where I want to go.
So at the approximately half-way point, am I half-way there?
- Run 12km - I want to be able to run 24km to have legs left over by the end of the 12km run. Yes, I am 50% there, I can run 12km. But I need to get this distance up up up to have the extra strength and stamina to complete the next four legs of the race.
- Paddle/kayak 8.5km - I need to be able to paddle for about 2 hours, or 17km. No I am not there. The longest I have rowed on the rowing machine is about 50 minutes, and this isn't utilising the same arm action as required for the double-handed arm-over-arm action that is used in a kayak. I need to get ahold of a paddle, so I can just sit in the lounge room and paddle to get the arm strength up. Then I need to get ahold of a kayak and get onto the water. Even if only once a month, I still need some practice out on the water!
- Swim 1km - I believe a freestyle (front crawl) swim of 1km in the pool will be an equivalent training distance to match my needs in the race. The race is in open, flowing water, and you travel with the current, so a 1km pool swim will probably take me 40 minutes or so (huge guestimate there), but the average time in the moving water is only 15 minutes. However, I am not half-way there, due to lack of water. The pool will reopen hopefully in October. If not, I may have to don the wetsuit and have a swim in the river! (brrrr!!) However, I am still confident that if the pool opens in early October I will have enough fitness and just need to put in 2-3 short sessions per week leading up to the event to get the breathing and technique re-established.
- Ride Horse 16km - I feel that TK is capable of this ride now. I want to do a lot more training with him, and tune up the fitness and our race pacing, and go over our vetting and cooling procedures so those are more established. But I think we are over half-way there. The 20km endurance ride at the end of July will really help us gauge if my confidence is well-founded or not.
- Cycle 20km - I was there, piece of cake, but now, not so much. I have not ridden my bike for weeks and weeks, and I decondition from cycling rather quickly. It's the one discipline I really need to maintain to do effectively. And I need to be able to do a hilly 20km cycle after I do all this other stuff! So, bring on the mag trainer! I plan to cycle at least four hours per week to keep the legs fit. Then I need to get out and do one training ride to Woody and back at least once a month. Pray for good weather because I am going to have no choice, I need to do those hills, feel the wind resistance, work the gears!
So, that's a bit of a bummer. Of the 5 disciplines, I am only half-way there with 2 of them. Swimming aside, that's only 50% of 50%! I'm not so good at math, but I think that means I am only 25% of the way there!
I am glad I did this re-evaluation. It has reminded me that matters are now pressing, and that I can't be having the slack days I have! If I miss a workout, it needs to be made up, because I am truly running out of time!
Time to put pen to paper and start re-scheduling my workouts!
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