Understanding the Question

I seek not to know the answers, but to understand the questions.

Caine in Kung Fu , TV Series

 

The preparation of my next race has been enjoyable if not particularly heavy. If anything I have not done any long rides and the purpose is to experience the race but not worry too  much about times. There is time for that yet. It is important to be prepared but as I have learnt too much of a good thing can be bad for me.

I have focused on really short rides and runs and a little swimming with maybe one swim session each week in preparation for the Rottnest channel swim 3 weeks ago , swimming in a Team. It was fun but tiring with lots of logistics needed to pull off the event. A boat , skipper , kayak support made it tougher at least to organize then an Ironman.This year the work load has made me a  time crunched triathlete and really needing to pace my training after the past 2 years and getting that balance between living and training and enjoying life . It ceases to be fun when I am training to a schedule and after so many races and campaigns I am conscious now that a break is as good as a holiday. Hence the quote from the TV series Kung Fu which was a weekly TV stable with David Carradine. I loved it and the great lessons it tried to impart whilst not necessarily realistic were fun. Sometimes , to make advances , we all have to take a few steps back and enjoy the experience for what it is. More importantly to read and understand where you are mentally and physically is the hardest skill to learn and control.

I continue to grapple with this all the time and pacing . The Rottnest swim was a welcome change in a challenge .One that I never would have contemplated several years ago. It was relatively doable as a team and even as a duo . I am not so sure I would want to swim 20 km by myself . It is achievable if there was the desire. Similarly , any venture , needs that driven desire balanced with a plan for success.

For the next venture , it is more about understanding the questions than finding the answers .

The team .Jonathon Vines , JC , Les Smith  and Trevor Howard (Capt) in 7.05 hrs

Dawn and start of the race at Cottesloe

At the 13 km mark with a shark sighted at the same time

 Molly got to chew on the medal