My past weeks training has been right on track. The Sunday workout was the planned 4hr aerobic bike followed by the 10 x 2km repeats. Having a positive experience in this workout really depends on having a feeding plan and sticking to it.

The 2km repeats are done on a time base, just like a swim set in the pool. At this stage I run mine on a 10min time base. In the early ones when I come in the the feeding area at the start finish, I waste no time. Drink what I need, take a gel if I need it and be ready to start on the time base.

If I can win a few seconds and leave before the 10min is up, I’ll take them and bank them for later in the workout, when I might need them. I picked up 15sec on the first one. Another 10sec on the second one, then I needed a toilet stop along the way. When I rejoined the course I was 35sec behind my time base. I leave the watch going all the time.

The workout took on a new challenge. Could I regain the lost time and hold good running technique? I gradually nibbled back the seconds. I stick ridgedly to my feeding plan. Some laps I come in and just take sports drink. Some I take a gel and water. I plan to take salt caps at regular intervals.

As I went on I had regained my time base and now started to pull back more seconds. I wanted to see how far in front of the 10min time base I could finish the set. My feeding plan was spot on, I had no cramps, stayed strong to the end and finished my set of 10 x 2km two minutes inside my time base. I’m happy to be able to run 20km off the bike at my projected race pace with nine weeks to go.

Yesterday was a classic motivation test. It was the local show holiday, a mid week public holiday. It had poured rain all night, when the alarm went off at 5.30am it was raining steadily. What a beautiful morning for a sleep in. Sandy and I got up, got ready and ran 17km together in the rain. The streets were quiet, it was like there was a curfew in force. We saw no other runners, three cyclists and three golfers. A lot of people took the opportunity to sleep in.

Running in the rain is not that bad, you only get wet once. When you are wet, you can’t get any wetter. I think what you can gain psychologically is of far greater value than what you might gain physically.

Tomorrow we drive eight hours north to Yeppoon for the Capricorn Coast Half Ironman. It’s a great test of “where you are ” in a Kona preparation. Eight weeks out and half the distance. We won’t be doing it as a training run. We’re going to go hard from start to finish. We enjoy the eight hour drive??? In our busy lives we don’t have many opportunities to talk for that length of time.

We drive up Friday, race Sunday and drive back Monday.