I realize that I was very bad last week and didn’t give you a rundown of my week and update you as to my potential goings-on at the weekend – so apologies for that, but in truth, you lot, if in fact there is anyone out there reading this, are so inert that I actually don’t care !
Last week was as boring and one dimensional as it usually is, with the added bonus of not being able to swim or run…… which makes being a triathlete a little more difficult than usual. You’ll remember that I can’t run because I have a damaged Achilles, and I can’t swim because the only accessible pool for about 100km has closed its doors to 1 and 3 month membership – and even if I knew how much 6 months was going to cost, I wouldn’t pay it as I’m only likely to be here for 2 more months (well, that’s the theory anyway).
So I did go to Yas Marina circuit on Tuesday night and do 70 very easy kms (“very easy” in the sense that I was practicing drafting for the big 12hr thing next Friday, which now isn’t – but more on that later). Drafting isn’t usually allowed in Triathlons (unless you are actually “in” the Olympics – in which case Time Trial bikes, like PII, aren’t allowed), and as I hadn’t seen anything in any rules (actually, I hadn’t seen any rules) on drafting I thought I had better get a feeling for it.
Endurance racing, whether it’s running, cycling or with a motor of some description, is a balance between Speed, Reliability and Fuel Consumption. If you are using your body as the engine then obviously the Fuel Consumption bit concerns energy, and both feeding it and using as little as possible for as long as possible. Drafting fits that bill particularly, and it is astonishing exactly what a difference being sat on someone’s back wheel can do – not only can you go as fast as they are but you can do it with minimal effort. So on Tuesday night I managed to up my average kph to around 35 whilst making it feel easy. You do feel a bit of a slut though, just using other people without putting any effort in to lead the chain (it’s quite funny when you suddenly notice that someone is drafting you – I never know whether to feel proud that I’m going fast enough that others think I’m worth drafting, or hacked off because someone's getting a free ride !)
Anyway, back to the story – I got an e-mail on Friday telling me that the race had been cancelled due to adverse weather – predicted high winds and unseasonably high temperatures. I do wonder why they hadn’t worked out that cycling for 12 hours, right through the day, in the Middle East, at the beginning of Summer, wasn’t going to be hot and therefore a problem, but I suspect that as there had been a complete lack of communication concerning the race, even with a week still to go, that they either weren’t remotely organized, or they just didn’t have enough entries to make it worth it. It’s been rescheduled for January 18th and if I’m still here then I’ll definitely have a go at it – it’s a really interesting challenge.
So the rest of last week was a bit of a damp squid really, nothing much to say – I restocked the freezer, so had to do a bit of shopping and cooking but other than that there’s nothing much to tell.
I went back to Dubai on Thursday, ostensibly to get PII in for a service before the big race (which isn’t…….) and because one of my old colleagues was flying in from Saudi for the weekend and I hadn’t seen him since he came to stay with me out in the sand a couple of months ago.
We met up on Thursday night in my favourite beach bar (Barasti) and had a few drinks and a long chat about various things, and I found myself constantly whining and bitching about everything. As I realized I was doing it, I apologised, but the subject turned to why I was doing it. After a couple of pints analysis it seems that I don’t actually ever get to talk to anyone in this sort of capacity, who either cares or understands, and I suppose I was just trying to get it off my chest ! We met up on Friday night (in the same place actually, just he and I, for dinner…… the fish and chips there are superb in my opinion !) and didn’t seem to go over much of the same ground, so it really is just about getting stuff off your chest I reckon. He didn’t have the same sort of issues because he’s part of a team of three or four in the same location and situation, and he gets the same chance all the time – it was quite interesting to analyses it. It seems that I just don’t get to talk to anyone normal !
I was very naughty over the weekend really, though, I should have gone sea swimming at least once (because I can’t get to a pool here), but I listened to my body I’m afraid, which kept saying “turn over and go back to sleep”……. I feel guilty now L I did go to the gym in Julian’s new block (which is not very good) and do nearly 2 hours of sweating on the x-trainer and the bike, but I didn’t manage anything on Saturday for various reasons – mostly sloth and idleness, but I did go and see my physio friend (who is just back from a month in Morocco) and she de-knotted my back and sorted out my neck for me, and in return I cooked her a curry and kept her company for a bit (hardly an arduous task !) before driving back to the sand last night.
I have resolved to be a good boy this week and put in lots of bike and to start running again (if I can/should). I am looking forward to the weekend as I'd booked into a hotel for Thursday night (so that I could be up in time for the 0700hrs start on Friday) and Friday night (as there was little or no chance of me being in any fit state to drive home after 12hrs on a bike !) and now that the race has been cancelled and I won’t get any refund on the hotel, I thought that I would just treat it as two days at a training camp. So I intend to swim at least three times, I’m going to take my bike and try and work out a circuit around the island without being killed on any of the big roads, and get back on a treadmill at least to start conditioning myself for TriYas in three weeks time.
All I have to worry about is remembering to take the right things with me, oh, and food obviously - I'm loath to pay an arm and a leg for hotel food (I think I might have breakfast organised) so I can feel a trip to the Lebonese Mill coming on..........Mmmmmmmmmmm
And on that bombshell I’m going back to following the Malaysian GP on the internet. It’s not the same as sitting in front of the telly with a beer but it’s still better than nothing !
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