Fear is a great motivator. There is nothing quite like the prospect of running 14k, cycling 42k and kayaking 6k to put the fear of God into you, especially if the furthest you have ever run ever is 10k. There is nothing quite like the prospect of taking on the biggest physical challenge of your life to motivate you to put on the runners and get out on the road, or to swing the leg over the bike and head off. At the rate I'm going the council are going to start charging me road tax for the amount of wear and tear I'm causing to their roads. I'm pretty sure I would come in at Band A mind you. My CO2 output can't be higher than 120g/km. If it is, I'm in trouble.
This training regime is all about milestones, about setting goals and reaching them and then surpassing them. I have had a 10k run in my mind for a week or so now. This morning I did it. I ran 5k to Clonea, worked out with Martin for 40 minutes non stop and ran 5k back home. Six weeks ago I couldn't run 5k without stopping to catch my breath. Today I did 10. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't a killer either. That is progress.
Speaking of motivation, on Sunday I cycled 50k including the heart-bursting hill from Cappoquin to Mellary. Remember, this is the hill that comes at the very end of the Waterford Adventure Race. This is the last aspect of the event. By the time I take on this hill on May 21st, I will have covered more than 90% of the race distance. Last Sunday I had to get off my bike three or four times going up this hill because my legs gave in. They failed me. They let me down. They had no more to give. And that happened three or four times. This means that over the course of the next six weeks not only do I have to build up my distances and times, but I also have to build up my strength massively if I have any hope of finishing this race. Wish me luck.
Building my strength is the job of Martin Lacey in Clonea Leisure Centre. I do the distances and he builds up the power in the muscles. It's a good thing he can't hear what's going on in my head as he pushes my limits. If he could he'd make me wash out my mind with soap. Last Wednesday he put me through such a routine that on Friday I was still aching. I normally do a run the night before a morning training session, but last Thursday evening I was in no state to do anything. So Friday morning instead of running I put on a yoga DVD and did an hour of stretching before heading out to face Martin's music. It worked a treat, and the girl doing the yoga on TV was much easier on the eye than Martin too. No offence Martin!
The kayaking hasn't happened yet. After doing the 50k cycle with me on Sunday my kayak sponsor Peter Burke from Union Chandlery in Cork brought out the kayak to give me some initial training. It was as much as I could do to sit in it on the grass outside my house, which doesn't exactly count as training. Who knows, maybe I'll be a bit more up for it after next Sunday's spin.
(Ian Noctor presents Noctor 'til 6 weekdays on WLRfm)
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