Ok so will start out with a disclaimer – this blog is completely separate from my Coaching blogs and should be read with a pinch of salt as I will be taking a very light-hearted look at my own personal journey to IM FL in Nov 2022.

If you are looking for more coach-related blogs – those can also be found on the main smartenduro site or on www.traininpeaks.com – lots of useful and clever info there but the below is more for giggles and a small peak into what makes me tick.

Clear and expectations managed – cool – read on!

Weeks until IM FL: 52

This weeks mantra: Oh God I cannot find anything (including my training mojo)

Training hours completed: 2.5

Good habits this week: Sleeping, h20 intake

Bad habits this week: Training avoidance, wine consumption to rival that of Luxemburg, sulking

So I have been here before, as when I completed my 10th full distance race (IM Mallorca), I knew there would be the post IM blues.

What I did not reckon on was combing the blues with the discombobulation (spelling?) of moving house and having to re-invent my training routines/partners would essentially turn my head into one of those exploding head emojis.

As a result, I found myself in a complete training funk where I uncharacteristically was skipping sessions and pigging out on junk food/wine (ok maybe the confectionary intake was not entirely out of “character”) and feeling overwhelmed about things I normally don’t stress over.

Ok so time to put up or shut up I stubbornly informed my sugar munching and wine quaffing inner demons …. unfortunately for the first few attempts at objections to lying in – I was overruled as opposed to sustained (yes the funk also involved some “suits” binge-watching – there may be more butchered legal references – apologies in advance!)

As I am a big believer in trying to fix/solve a problem and I have to my credit completed the following tasks this week.

Firstly had a face to face meeting with my own coach (yes even coaches have coaches – every day is still a learning day) and agreed on goals for next year/learnings from last season.

Secondly, I have discovered/set up my training toys (hello Zwift avatar)

Finally, I have accepted that I need to control my OCDness in terms of getting my new man cave set up. In fact- I have motivated myself in terms of viewing myself as Rocky in the third movie – where he has to use all of the natural resources e.g. running in snow and lifting rocks! (although secretly I am planning to become Ivan Drago at the end with the plush lab set up and shiny machines that go beep!)

Oh, and I have started to write this blog as a way of holding myself accountable whilst not taking myself too seriously …

As let’s face it every IM journey should be more fun/laughs than hardship/suffering (anyone else who says otherwise doesn’t really get it – we are not pros, we are all weekend warriors in some shape or form – this is our hobby – we should enjoy it!)

So I hope you enjoy sharing some of the laughs/mishaps with me!

Athlete Steve