What??? July Already?

July is months away yet....Denial is a great thing.

Finally its almost here, and am i ready?? not a chance. Truth is i hear nobody ever feels ready for Ironman so why should i be an exception.
Its been a tough journey to here and i'm not even at the start yet. i'm supposed to have been in peak training for the last 4 weeks but unfortunately i've found life getting in the way. Work has take a real dive with massive doubts over whether i'll have a job come October so that didn't help at all. my motivation went right down and i really felt i couldn't be bothered but in fact i did more training miles in June than i've done in any other month.
June also brought my first Olympic Distance Triathlon in Liverpool. It was a great event and felt special cause it was one year exactly after i did the tiny (as it feels now) super sprint tri that started this whole ball rolling.Here's how that went.

Up we got nice and early, only just, cause i ended up drinking red wine on the Saturday night (wont do that again) got in the with the elites (they gave me an 8am start) expecting them to all disappear into the distance.....and some of em did...but to my surprise i did the 1 mile swim (in the most disgusting salt water i might add) in 34 minutes....i was well chuffed and onto the bike.
Within 1 mile i was feeling sick (salt water swallowed...not the red wine... honest) and i really thought i might have to stop and throw up (and possibly face dnf) but i managed to take deep breaths and drink a bit and crack on. i did the 25 mile ride in 1.25 which again is a decent time and i was pleased with it. Then came my nemesis..running.
within 500m i was feeling i needed to walk, earlier after the swim..as i got out of the water i got a cramp in my right hamstring, i stretched it out and didn't feel it on the bike but it came back to haunt me on the run. and i struggled big time. It was hot hot hot and i never over took one single person in the 6 miles. i was running for a couple of minutes then having to walk a bit....it made it worse that you had to pass the finish and do a second lap. it was tough (especially with cramp and the fact i'd hammered the bike) anyway after an hour or so i was into the final mile and managed to keep running into the great chute to loads of cheers (1.10 for the run) for a 3.20 exactly finish....i'm not going to win any AG's with that time but i was pleased with the finish and loved the event.

Big Props need to go to Mrs B who 5 weeks before couldn't swim with her head in the water but not only did she manage a 400m swim in the Albert dock but she also came home in the super sprint race in 1.00 exactly...4 minutes faster than my time last year. (she's now entered into a sprint race...expect her IM blog next year i think)

So June numbers were Swim - 6.9 miles. Bike - 246 miles. Run - 57 Miles.

a week and half more and i'll be into taper, the next time i write will be just before the race to convey my fear and then i'll be into it. wish me luck. I'm going to really really need it.