Just keep swimming (and gymming, running and cycling).

First of all I think its safe to say I'm in a better mindset than I was when I wrote my last post. I was in the throws of a post-race season comedown. Training was easing, the diet was easing and life was generally just getting busier as a result of the upcoming holidays!

Somewhere between the tins of biscuits and discarded wrapping paper I happened across my motivation, now whilst never lacking I think mentally I was just out of 'the zone' right now however I'm back there.

Training has been consistent, a bit lacking on the running side of things if we're nitpicking but its consistent and on the up!

As I said before my plan over winter was to put more swim time in and work hard towards improving what is my favourite but weakest discipline. In around September I posted a 400m Time Trial of 07:01. Now after a Winter of 3 swim sessions a week I have posted a 400m time of 06:34 (with bests over other distances along the way) and if I'm honest with myself I know I can swim faster than this. This effort is clearly starting to pay off...

Now onto running..

A particulary muddy New Years day parkrun with Rob and Dom.

The run has been becoming more consistent from almost non-existent pre-Christmas to twice a week to finally hitting the three times a week I had been planning with good quality sessions becoming the norm rather than the just go and run/do what I can trap I had fallen into. A couple of parkrun adventures have shown that I haven't lost any fitness here but I haven't gained any either, hopefully this will start to come back over the next few weeks though...

Come snow or shine!

In regards to cycling, prior to the world championships I did an FTP test where I held a 231 watt average for the 20 minute test (this was without sufficient warm up etc) having redone the FTP last week I held a 228 watt average for the 20 minutes. Combined with a particulary heavy gym session and generally hard week of training leading up to the test I was more than happy to take this after being so worried that I had lost fitness over Christmas. Again consistent cycling based on good quality sessions has become the norm and this figure should (hopefully) only increase as I carry on throughout the year.

Sometimes cycling inside can be fun!

Something that I introduced late to the season last year but have held consistent through Winter is gym sessions. Now, I've never been a 'gym-goer' before but as time has progressed the relevance of good strength and conditioning has become more and more important in my mind. Two gym sessions a week focusing of key areas of weakness but also general strength and conditioning have become second nature with gains to be found each week.

....AND LIFT!

I'm in a good position (better than I thought I would be) and now its time to starting building before the race season starts!

That's it for this blog post. Once again more an airing of my thoughts than anything particular relevant to anyone else....mainly I went through the dark patch and I'm out the other side and more focused than ever.