I'm back......

I've spent the last few weeks considering what I really wanted to achieve out of this sporting summer. As anyone who has read any of my drivel knows I was planning to try and take on my fourth Ironman distance triathlon. I'd initially looked at a race in Northern Ireland and then had moved on to look at a race in Almere which again was a version of Ironman.

I realised in the last few weeks I was doing this to prove something to myself and I suppose I worked out in the same period that I have nothing to prove. I, as the shout at you as you cross the line, am an Ironman. No-one can take it away, it's written in the record books that I have finished, albeit not the fastest, 3 Ironman races and I have the medals to prove it! I also recognised that it's ok to be me. That might sound strange but I keep pushing myself to be a better person never really accepting that I am or could be good enough. Something changed that and I've finally accepted it's ok to be me. 

So I felt released, unburdened by the need to do another Ironman, I don't really like the swimming part and it's a massive amount of training. I do enjoy the training but the endless lengths in the pool, the chill of the Scottish open water and the constant nagging thoughts about the next session that needs are all things I suddenly don't miss. I feel free, relaxed and ready to do a race that I might enjoy taking part in. 

So with the Ironman ruled out I opened my iPad and looked at races all around the place. I didn't rush but took time analysing the relative merits of each opportunity and how it fitted with what I want to do sharing time with my fab wife Danielle, family and friends. I remembered a race that one of the Dunfermline Multi Sport group had raced last year and looked it up online. It's a cross Scotland race of 105 miles following the route of the Great Glen way on foot, bike and canoe. No swimming! Perfect!

So I've entered and oddly enough met the athlete, Alan Affleck, who had completed the race at a training run tonight. It was good to say hello and we're meeting up shortly so I can learn from an experienced competitor. So the Coast to Coast is on the same day as Challenge Almere starting in Nairn and finishing in Glencoe. I can honestly say I'm really looking forward to it and the challenge that lies ahead.

I'm going to keep the blog going as a record of the ups and downs of training for a multi sport event and feel happy that I've settled and entered a race that I think will suit me.

Life is for living and for the first time in ages I feel able to step back and be thankful for all that life offers. It feels full of opportunities at the moment and I'm ready to embrace all that a Scottish summer offers.

I can't finish this without mentioning my good friend and inlaw, Max. He ran his first marathon this weekend in Edinburgh and I felt so chuffed for him in completing a massive achievement. His efforts have helped get me back into training this week after a couple of more relaxed weeks. Well done on completing your first and I hope we will meet at the start of a race sometime soon! 

I was out with the DMS crew tonight running the gate to gate time trial - 6 athletes and me took on the 4.6 mile course. The impressive Iain Taylor set a course record of 29.30 and everyone out did some fine times. I finished in 33.26 - I was really chuffed with the run despite coming in last by about 800 metres! They are a good bunch of guys and were very encouraging supporting me across the finish line. I really enjoyed the test but when I looked at my watch and went through the first mile in under 7 minutes I knew it was going to be fast, too fast for me. I hung on in and at the end still felt strong at the end. It was great to have a target ahead and my plan is before the end of the summer to not come last on one of the time trials. As always time will tell! Thanks to everyone who turned up tonight, a bunch a fantastic people who revel in the challenge. My kind of training!