2...

No presents - for you at least - UCB. On the other hand, at the end of this countdown I get to drink cocktails whilst laying by a pool in my bikini somewhere warm :-)

Taper time! Actually it seems we are going for the traditional taper on the bike - mileage slowly coming down - and the reverse taper on the swim - the mileage, well at least the non-stop swims, are getting longer! Whatever works I suppose...

Mon: a sleep-in thanks to a day off work & a ban on running. And I was very pleased that I did given how difficult I found swim squad in the evening. I felt incredibly flat in the water - I had no power or speed - and that was even before doing 26 x 50m. Bar humbug. 3.1km

Tue: short (30mins) strength session at lunch

Wed: what a difference 36 hours makes. Monday night was one of the worst swims I have ever had. Today probably one of the best. 2.2km which started with 2km non-stop (another first for me). I felt really strong throughout the swim & kept the splits very consistent. My head however needs a bit of work because when I saw the time when I finished (38:53) I immediately assumed that I had miscounted and missed 2 laps. Either way, it was a sub-40min 2km swim which I am very pleased with. Now I just have to do that in open water with no big black line steering me in the right (straight) direction :-(

Thu: very solid 55min bike session on the windtrainer in the garage. I was hungry even before this session started & seemed to remain hungry all day after it. 22.5km.

Fri: 45mins pilates with Carly in the morning. Have the ok to start running / shuffling a little bit next week.

Sat: another big day of training. I woke to the sound of rain which unfortunately meant my 2hr ride was confined to the windtrainer in the garage. Even with my iPod, it was b-o-r-i-n-g. I really struggled mentally from the 1hr mark. But it got done :) 50.1km.

Then at lunchtime I headed to the pool for a 2.1km swim with some 100m, 200m & 400m intervals. I was feeling really tired before this swim but, as happened last week, I felt reasonably good in the water.

Sun: Finally! A much-needed & long awaited confidence boosting ride, not only for the race but for my next goal event too :-)

I met TA & Gnome again at Hornsby at 8am for another hilly long ride starting with up & down both sides of Berowra Waters - including the obligatory ferry crossing; my first time on the ferry since I ran Black Stump on NYD 2007 - and then up & down both sides of Bobbin Head. A challenging ride and a great way to finish my last big training weekend; it was great to (finally) see all my hard work over the last 3 months pay off. Yippee! Thanks for another great morning guys (*waves*). 63.6km. 3:25.

So the hard work is done. The training begins to taper & the mind begins to focus :-)

July
Swim: 27.8km
Bike: 527.8km

August
Bike: 63.6km