Rest day

In 4 weeks it’ll be over. 

This adventure has currently taken over (on & off) approx 4 years of my life. It’s been wonderful. Just need to finish it now 🥰🎉

Exactly 4 weeks today

Loved the Exbury 10k

Soles of my feet are tender. Hopefully I’ll manage 42km!!

Felt very relaxed & easy. Didn’t push it at all, chatted the whole way. 

Two weeks of concerted effort then taper 

As long as I make the bike cut off I’ll be fine on the run as long as I take it very gently. 

4 weeks tomorrow!!!!

Watering the greenhouse before tri club swim session

Housework and outlaw prep such as new goggles etc…

Haircut 

Collected Jules from Central 

It’s still hot but regular summer hot not I could die hot. 

30 days to go!!!

In 4 weeks we’ll be in Nottingham about to register & rack tomorrow 

I can do this!

Got mums car - decided any issues I’ll be in an air conditioned car

Highfield to say goodbye and good luck to Libby

Cycled off for 2hour ride - managed to get to plot4 where Vik had just arrived. Watering. 

Barely an hour of cycling 

Then ran up to Highfield through the common.

Home via Lidls 

Watered balconies

Shower

Bedtime 

A day of not much - so hot!

I basically did any exertion before 9:30am

Swam 

Cycled 

Rest of today has been spent trying to keep mum cool. 

So hot!!!!

Didn’t water the allotment 

Didn’t do S&C

Didn’t do my 60min commuter miles bike ride

Trains delayed

Uber from Basingstoke

Supper with mum, Debs, Katie & Cousin Ruth

Mums house is an oven 

Swimming tomorrow first thing. 

33 days to go

Was out the door running by 6:10am.

Total game changer 

Weather was delightful but could feel it starting to heat up by 6:45am

Home, got ready for worn and back out by 7:20am as needed to water the greenhouse.

So hot at work!

Home via A&Xobie 

Another lovely day 

5.8km 49.39

Average speed 8:34 /km

Happy with that.

34 days to go

The weather is getting hot!

Just got to trust the training

Getting nervous 

Must do my to do list of what I still need to do / need to get 

Exbury 10k on Sunday with Jules & Jenny Penney

Exactly 5 weeks today!!

22:53

7 minutes till official time up for the Outlaw

Hopefully I’ll have finished a good hour or so ago and be out of the finishers tent celebrating with the girls 🥰

5 weeks tomorrow I’ll be done!!!

This is all feeling very real 

I need to stop freaking out about the ridiculous distances and focus on trusting my training. 

I can swim 3.8km in under 2 hours 

I can bike 180km in under 8 hours 

I can run a marathon in under 7 hours 

I can do x2 transitions in under 15mins each one 

I’ve got this 🥳 

Fabulous day today 

Training, allotment, solstice, Jo’s bday party 

And another rest day

I’m now back in Southampton prepping for my long bike ride tomorrow. My dodgy tummy has settled down at last. 

Lunch with Nana and watering plot4 Radcliffe Road x

Rest day / dodgy tummy

No idea why but I’ve had a dodgy tummy since 9:30 last night. Let’s just say Bristol chart #7 and leave it as that 

Needless to say I cancelled my swim booking for the leisure centre this morning.

Took everything very gently 

I’ll probably just walk a lot tomorrow as I want to protect my long ride on Saturday 🤗

39 days to go

How on earth can I cycle 180km in under 8 hours and then be able to do a marathon in under 7 hours??? 

Run Work Allotment

5.9km 49mins

12 hour work shift

Watering A’s & Plot4’s greenhouses 

Open water swim at Ellingham

X2 laps, approx 2600m in 58:45

Watch was on pool swim not open water swim. Aah well.

Ellingham heaving with tri buddies

Wonderful to see Paul & Sarah, Nick, Kirstie. Plus def other familiar faces 🥰

Managed 22 mins cycle as so hungry!!!!

Thank god I had lasagne in the terrace bar at lunchtime. Had chicken and chips from my fave chippie along Queensway. Love the chap who I think owns it. 

Run and watering allotment tomorrow 

Less than 6 weeks

So tired!!!

6 weeks today!!!

I think I’ll have finished 🥳🤗

Starts at 6am

T1 by 7:45

On the bike by 8am

T2 by 4pm

Marathon done by (looks at the time, 21:52)

Okay, I think I’ll still be running but hopefully very  nearly done 😂😬🤞

43 days to go

72km, 3:32 in the NF with Jenny, Sue & Suzanne then lunch at Make & Brew

Cup of tea & cake with Emi & Maya at Coffeeology

9k run 1:16 to water the allotment. Plus be stunned at the hight of the sunflowers!!!

Am now tired and achey. 

Fabulous day.

Sadly I forgot about suncream as it hasn’t been sunny for ages. I now have pink legs 😂

Another rest day

This wasnt planned

Debs to St Heliers 

Auntie Carol for lunch 

6:13pm to Southampton

Home by 8:50pm but then had to eat 

And now it’s 10:30pm 

45 days to go

Cycled to Leatherhead leisure centre - 1825m in 47:32 

Some mum stuff 

Supper at Amanda’s with Phil & Clairee 

Fabulous 

Rest day

Had a bike fit with Dave Hopper of Synergy and tri club

Very happy 

Tweaked saddle and sorted out cleats 

Also confirmed I need new tires.

Nipped back to Tina’s to get my courgette and lampshade.

Blood test request hadn’t been sent through to RSH so will need to rebook. 

Drove home 

OMG - went over the bumpy side of the road a couple of times. Very scary. Just shows you how easy it is to drive tired. Radio on, windows down. Safely got to mums. 

Mum under the weather 

No energy 😢

Supper, TV, pottering 

Alarm set for 6:45am - swimming by 7:30am 

47 days to go - half IM run through

The swim was fine in the pool at Jubilee

The bike ride was lovely with Jenny - we had tea at the Bakehouse, we dodged some rain, we had sunshine but we also had rain. 

Managed 72km and then it really chucked it down so I called it a day 😂

We went to Lemon & Jinga in Romsey - met Tina then back to hers to check out her garden.

Home by 6:30pm

Our for a run - managed 15km and then decided that was enough.

I’d be a DNF if this was an actual race

Great nutrition on the bike

Not so sure about the run nutrition this evening  but there will be so much food on the run at the actual Outlaw so I’m not at all worried about that.

Feet sore

Need to relook at my socks for the run. 

Such a great day

I am tired though and that’s not even half of what I’ll be doing in just under 7 weeks!!

50 days to go 🥰

3 years ago I was gearing up for the Outlaw just like I am now although I def feel better prepared this time around. 

Got x2 pairs new cycling shoes from Jacqui - they’re fabulous. So happy. Will take to Dave on Wednesday for my bike fit. Very glad I’ve got mums car as it was raining this morning. No cycling to work via Totton 😅

I am feeling very proud of myself 

Got home and within 5mins was back out and on my town bike for 48mins of cycling - 14.5km.

51 days to go

1600m swim before work - STC Oaklands session

Allotment after work 

Then some tidying, some modern family and quite a few portions of my trail mix 

Let’s just say I’ll have to buy some more dried fruit and m&m’s 😬

No long ride

Hmmmm

Didn’t manage the 3.5hour bike ride or brick run

Managed 65mins in the gym 

I need to figure out some long rides

53 days to go

Swam in the morning 2175m in 53 mins

Drinks in the evening with these two 🥰

54 days to go

It’s starting to get very real.

Ran this evening in Fetcham as gave Katie a lift to ballet. Ran approx 8.75km in about 1:05

That would be a just under 6 hour marathon. 

55 days to go

3,100m 1:18

7x 400m

Should have been 8x 400m but there was a late school booking so had to leave the pool by 10:05

Exeter to meet Leanne

Drinks then mac’n cheese back at her and Jake’s new house 

56 days to go

HB outside for an hour before work 

Bumped into Ed from tri club which was fab

Day 4/4 of work 🥰

Watered the allotment after work and chilled there for a good extra 30mins 

Love plot4 so much 

This time 2023 was the Rattler weekend of approx 2.5k lake swim, 10k run then 100mile bike ride 

After the bike ride I just thought oh crap, how on earth am I fit enough for a bloody ironman!! The accident was horrific but crikey, also dodged a bullet 🤣

I think this time I will be fit enough in 56 days.

My poor little heart may well burst with joy when I cross the finish line. 

It’s the direct correlation between the effort it’s taken to cross the line compared with the magnitude of the event which has in the past made every fibre of every cell in my body become pure joy. It’s an amazing feeling. I’m excited to have that feeing super sized in about 8 weeks xxx 

57 days to go

8k 1:12 run after work 

It was supposed to be 1:50 but when it got to 10pm it was time to go home to shower, have something to eat and unwind from the day 

Delighted though that I went out!

Beautiful sunset 

Plus I bumped into Chris from S&W which was wonderful as I haven't seen him for years 🤗

Friday 29th May - Swim & Mangos

Day2 at work 

Set alarm for 4:45am!!!!

STC swim session at Oaklands. So glad I went.

Approx 1750m in 48mins

Then met Emi & Maya after work at Mangos 🥰

Rest day

I am quite tired!

Left work early today to meet A & Amy for supper.

Bought our parking for the Outlaw weekend 

I have to keep trusting I’ll make it to the finish line 

Basically if I can do the 180k in 8 hours I’ll be fine 

How ridiculous is that, cycling for 8 hours. 

I need to buy new bike shoes 

5.5hour long run becomes 2.5hours

Well at least a swam agin in the morning and got to use my National Trust membership at Polesdon Lacey.

I need to do more cycling 🤔

Swim, boys & Armistead Maupin

Fabulous day

Should have started the swim earlier as only managed 1900m 48mins before needed to head home for breakfast with mum

Took mum to Drs

Coffee at Debs

Met boys at St Martin in the Fields

Food, talk - 50 years since Tales of the City came out, ice cream, drinks in the Retro Bar

Fabulous 

62 days to go

I’m very focused now on making sure I don’t miss any training 

Didn’t sleep very well - so hot!

So was out by 9am for my 60min run.  Then chilled at the allotment - watered the greenhouse and drank a lot of water 

Coven lunch 12:30pm

Caught the 5pm train to Ashtead 

Hopefully I’ll sleep better tonight

I have ordered the same eye mask that H uses when sleeping to see if that’ll help. Should arrive tomorrow 🤗