T minus 25 days

The count-down clock to my inaugural triathlon is ticking increasingly louder as, since Sunday, training has entered the last four weeks.

It would be untrue of me to say that the training has intensified, or that the sessions, which have slightly declined in number, have been harder. In truth my fitness levels have become more apparent but there is still much to do.

There is a fine line between squeezing in two sessions of each discipline a week without also trying to overdo it. If a session is missed, it’s missed. A couple double sessions took their toll very easily, leaving the body overtired and requiring additional recovery time, i.e. poor time and training management.

Patience and training quality are key to successful training.

Patience has been most prevalent in my swimming training. Having joined a swimming clubs’ twice weekly sessions, my ability to reach the (dreaded) 750 metres has become increasingly attainable and I am now much more at ease with what is required come the event. Patience will also be required when it comes to the event also though, as a steady pace will win out over my previous swimming personality who sought to swim as quickly (and badly) as possible to cover the distance. Let’s not forget that the triathlon is a test of endurance as much as anything else.

Training quality is the other key. It’s all well and good pounding the pavement for an hour and a day, but will that help you improve your speed, your technique or your enjoyment of the training? Probably not. Running or cycling training should be controlled such that you are gaining the most from it, whether you do a twenty or a sixty minute session. Quality will beat quantity almost every time.

As the days ticked off begin to outnumber the days remaining, the key to the coming weeks is to remain patient – there will be bad days – and ensure that regardless of the day or the weather a quality training session takes place. So as the clock ticks louder, so does my heart.