An unplanned competition

A couple of weeks ago I was asked if I am interested in participating at the Dutch championship Veenendaal. It sounded good to me and I thought (and still am thinking) that it is a good idea to have a look at the end of a ‘rest’ season how fit you are. So the last weeks I try to get back some of speed for the Olympic distance, which is in about a week (18 August).
Do not get the wrong impression, I have not been just chilling the all season and summer (which summer?) long. I kept on training but without a certain objective to train for which I definitely will not do again; or had I an objective without knowing – to get rid of my injury. Probably that was my objective J.

This year I pretty much did whatever I liked and sounded good when I have been asked and that was awesome. Of course, there have been some events which I could not skip, e.g. the Noorderrondrit, the UT Triathlon or the Pieter Wenning classics in Surhuisterveen.

Since my last blog I somehow got into the right mode, probably the post itself helped me and that the competition is getting closer. So last week I finally could follow the trainings plan for at least most of the parts. I still got trouble with the fast switch from cycling to running. I tried it for couple of times now and will keep trying because I think that is a good point to win some extra time during a race without spending too much time in training. I am happy with the cycling and running part itself. Running goes well and I have no pain (or at least not long lasting pain) after the training so I think this year was needed and good for my body.

What do I expect from the triathlon in Veenendaal? I actually expect just a finishing time to set a marker somewhere for 2012 and for the start of 2013 to beat. Pictures will follow...

Getting out of the fun mode

The Ironman Frankfurt winner of 2012 has been decided and now the focus is back on 2013. Easier said than done because after the Ironman Zürich  last year I decided to take a little break of serious training. Voluntarily? More or less... After the 4 mile in 2011, the first time in my life, I had a running injury (overstressed Achilles heel). Nevertheless I kept training (not that smart I know by know). So at the last part,the marathon, in Zürich I had a pretty tough time and even considered to step out because the pain was getting almost too much.

For the Ironman Zürich Richard and I tried to make a combined fan page on Facebook, it was fun to see how different we two approach to host such a page and of course how different we thought we train but at the end it was not that different.

Richard started an own blog in Dutch which I really like (http://eigenwijzerman.blogspot.nl).

At the present arrived Richard, Jan Willem and I subscribed  for the Ironman Frankfurt 2013 ( the same group of Zürich).

For the Ironman Frankfurt I tried to write my own training schedule and here I will try to document my ideas and set backs of an own training schedule on a weekly basis.

The last two years I bought a training schedule, for Almere and the Ironman Zürich. For both triathlons it was good but I never had the feeling to have gone as deep as I think I can go. I have looked at different plans and books; eventually I decided to try it my own way.

At the moment I have the problem to get in the trainings mode again, find your rhythm. I even have taken this in my schedule 4 to 6 weeks getting started :). The plan started like 3 weeks ago, so half time. Looking back and looking forward I have not found a thing looking at the mode or rhythm. But on the bright side I still have 3 weeks to find it - according to the plan :).