Finally September is here......

Friday evening swimming back in towards the rapidly disappearing beach
Sunset swimming on Thursday


The water is really clear, which means unfortunately my technique faults are pretty easy to spot, too late now but I'll try to perfect before next Sunday!!

and the countdown begins!!! Week 29 this week, ooh err, the race is scarily close now!!
I had my last long ride at the end of week 27 and have been tapering down from then and I need it, I am exhausted!! (said with a huge sigh and general over acted to much effect!) I used to say this alot, but surprisingly have stopped saying it so much these days, except to describe how I am feeling when I genuinely am!!

This week so far has been gloriously easy (ish!), I started the week with a full 140length (3.5km) pool swim, working on technique, which took me 1.5hrs - not THAT bad for winding down and taking it slow, plus faffing and the obligatory social element! I had a quick 45 minute run in the evening, which meant a quick loop of the valley, I slept alot on Tuesday evening!
Wednesday saw my penultimate quick change session - 45mins on the bike ( I completed a fantastic fast loop and felt pretty dizzy when I finished with an exhilarating descent down AG hill) followed by a 15min run, easy, easy, love it!!

Thursday I had a pretty full on day work - wise, spent all day driving to Cornwall for a meeting, then back again, phew! I hadn't drunk nearly enough water and felt a bit weird, so training didn't happen until about 7pm. We popped down to Bigbury to swim, there was a glorious sunset, the conditions were perfect, all except one thing - James couldn't join me due to his stitch in lip impediment. I put on my suit and headed for the shore, determined to swim to the buoy, only about 450m off shore when the tide is in - got about 100metres out, decided I didn't like it and swam back in - a wimpy 6minute swim, absoluteley pointless!! I still had my hour ride to fit in, so jogged back up to the carpark and stripped off my suit, donned my helmet, socks and shoes, turned my bike lights on, and jumped on. Straight into heart attack hill - it's not normally as bad, but I was cold and wet and feeling a little crook. James has swapped my wheels for Don's lighter weight wheels, and the bike felt great, as I pedaled up the hill a lady running down the hill said 'you're brave cycling' I was thinking about this the whole way home, which, apart from the first hill, was undulating, with some good downhills, wondering what made me brave - I actually enjoy road cycling more than ever now, even when it hurts!

Today (Friday) has been much more sedate, I was at home today, so had plenty of sleep catch up and chill whilst working time, then at 3.30 I left for my 1hr run to meet James at the office. I took a much longer route than originally planned and pushed myself a bit harder than normal and made my route in a fraction over an hour (because I called James to see if he had left the office yet!), very chuffed! We then hopped in the car and headed back down to Bigbury for swim attempt number 2, I am not counting thursday's attempt as a swim session! It was lovely, there was a slight swell and I did feel a little seasick for a bit, but James came with me on an SUP, so I had some company at least.
When we were getting in some chaps stopped us on the beach to ask how far the buoys are - when I told them I was about to swim to them a long conversation developed about doing Ironman Wales and swimming etc..... they paid me mucho respect and were watching as I headed out. The tide was a bit lower today, so was only about 350ish meters to the first buoy, then from this one I swam along the line of buoys and back again, all in probably about 1.5km, so not a huge swim, but I am mentally in wind down mode and it's really hard to keep up the swims and not the rest!! When I was rinsing my suit in the shower afterwards I got chatting to a lady about swimming and my training and again, was paid mucho respect for my efforts - I could get used to this ;-)

Tomorrow I will do a full 3.5km swim, but it really depends on the wind and whether I swim at Torcross of Bigbury!!
I will also have my last long ride, which this week is all of 2hrs, followed by another hour run. Then Sunday I have another hour ride and hour run, then I'll be on to week 30!!!!!
Carb loading has begun in earnest, I am enjoying eating loads of the right foods, come next Sunday I will be fatter than ever and will promptly lose it all in one day!