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Back in the UK, and having spent 3 days of hectic jet-lagged rushing around in London to catch up with a few friends, unpack and repack gear for my next destination - chez Maman– I’m finally settled to recommence training. Here’s my sister, Lotte, and I out on a short spin out on the roads around Somerset.

Lotte is training for her second marathon and her first triathlon, Windsor. This was also my first tri and im encouraging Lotte to try and beat my time there -which was 2:29. She’s certainly capable of doing that. As with many people new to the sport and showing early promise, the risk is injury. After a very impressive 3:40 at her first ever marathon a year ago, we started playing with speed work with a view to smashing that time at Luton last December. Of course, Lotte simply did not have the miles in her legs to cope with an increased volume and intensity in her run training and eventually had to pull out of the race due to injury which has persisted into the first few months of this year. That was a lesson learned for both of us –though she appeared to be coping fantastically with everything I gave her, always doing just a bit more than set, her legs were just not up to it and were unable to keep up with her rapid fitness gains. But, she’s ok now, and by following a moderate run training schedule is on track for a good race at London Marathon in April. I am advising against any sort of speed work, or running at above half marathon pace and plenty of cross training - which is where the triathlon comes in!

As you can see from the picture, the weather is wonderful – it’s been very mild since our arrival back in the UK, the daffs are blooming and it looks like we’ve done winter and are getting on with spring already. Sure, that’s brave talk, but today I’m feeling it. I’ve finally managed to shake the jet lag and sleep a through a normal night (although I did crash out on the sofa for the entire duration of ‘About a Boy’ much to the amusement of mum and Lotte, I think that was due to the combination of cheese, wine and a very dull movie! ;o) ) and felt refreshed and keen to get out. I’m pretty pleased with myself for managing to strip down Lotte’s bike to give it a good clean, disassemble the rear brake which had seized AND managed to put it all back together again. Somehow its more fun to do this for someone else than work on my own bike, which really needs a bit of a sorting out…..but every time I think about it, I want to go to sleep!

The ride was short but I still feel that it was more than enough for me and din pt join my sister for her run. Despite not killing my legs during the race ( blowing up on the run has it’s advantages) the travel and everything else has taken it’s toll and I don’t want to rush back into training before I’m properly recovered. I know that the next few months Scott will not have an easy time in store for me, and since I am on a mission to redeem myself I want to be ready to give it 101%.