Swim Training Session

So I have had my first swim session of the off season. On the plus side I am not quite as bad as when I first went a couple of years ago but at the same time there are still things I need to improve on. The body rotation seems to be good and given that I am 6ft 3 I should really have a longer reach than I have at present. So for the next couple of months it is: 6-1-6 drills and finger drag drills until Jan when I go again Watch this space by Spring next year I will be swiming like a fast fish

Team Thacker

While I may, more often than not train on my own, It is always nice to have a friendly face to finish in front of!
Let me get one thing clear I am an absolute nightmare to be around before the start of a race and overall I know that the lot of a triathlete’s partner is not a particularly easy one. At least most amateur football or rugby matches start no earlier than 9am on a weekend. In comparison most triathlons start at around 9 - 10am and require registration and racking by 8am this means an early morning start to get to the venue, it is not even like there is much conversation before and frankly if the result if rubbish there is not much conversation afterwards either!

However, despite all this my fiancé, Helen accompanies me to my races and while she may refuse to come anywhere near me initially after the race – there was a very bad incident the first season I took part in the London Tri where my fiancé carried my wetsuit, still containing most of Victoria dock to the car, two days later she was in hospital – no test could confirm that it was as a result of the wetsuit but needless to say I have the job of carrying the wetsuit after events – but a big hug and a cup of flask provided tea is very welcome after the race.

As well as my fiancé, Helen, I have acquired a new running partner, Poppy our 1 year old Cocker Spaniel. She accompanies me on my runs over the dunes at Merthyr Mawr and makes the whole thing a lot more enjoyable. Although I have to admit that I am still amazed at the speed which her little legs can carry her up the dunes while I struggle like some sort of big yeti to get over even the slightest sandy incline. I have also started taking her along to my cross county training, while only a small little thing, I only run for around 60 mins at a time as I am no marathon runner, hence competing in sprint and marathon distances rather than ironman events which quite frankly put the fear of god into me.

So this is my initial support crew ably assisted from time to time by other friends and relatives, I will try to include a few pictures of the support crew at the races over the coming months.

Intro

I would like to think of myself as an unselfish person, certain friends may disagree but despite this my primary reason for starting this blog is largely for my own personal gain. I tried last season to unsuccessfully finish in the top 20 in the Welsh National Sprint and Olympic triathlon races, I finished just outside the top 30. My aim for this season is to try and break into the top 20 and while it may only mean shaving a couple of minutes off the swim, bike and run leg this is pretty difficult to do. While all other sensible human beings are tucked up in bed throughout the winter I will be going through the back catalogue of Blackadder spinning the pedals on my turbo trainer, why Blackadder, well I really need something to keep me sane while in essence sweating rivers and going nowhere.

My aim is to use this blog as a way of recording my progress over the year to see whether it is possible for a (very) average age group triathlete to break into anywhere near the top 10 within a year. I know it will be very tough, not necessarily the training but the keeping of the blog – thinking that it will only last a matter of months. I have already been informed by my closest friends whom I have known for over 20 years and being only 29 this is a large proportion of my life that they think it unlikely that I will keep up with the blog. If they have doubts about my ability to keep an uptodate blog then it is at the very least going to be v tough!