At the beginning of the year I set out a big goal for myself of seeing could I train to go sub 9 hours at Challenge Roth. That in itself would be a big acheivement, but what was more of a challenge was could this be done while having 3 kids under the age of 3, running my own business, and being a good husband and Dad? 

Things got off to a good start and training actually went really well - the signs and the numbers were there that I was in the territory of where I needed to be to go sub 9 at Challenge Roth. But everything fell apart quite quickly about 6-8 weeks out from the race. With the twins going through some bad times of teething and falling out of any sort of routine, it meant that any time I had to train during the day (which was limited already!) just got completely obliterated. For any of you who follow me or know me, Im not shy of getting in those early morning sessions when I need to or when its the only chance I can get to train. But it got to a point where I just couldnt get up any earlier or fit it in.

The hardest part in making the decision to cancel the race, was having to accept it in my own head. I was in great shape, I was looking forward to this race all year, and I had a great crew who were going over to race there aswell. But when the dust settled and the decision was made, I found relief in knowing that its only a race - it will be there again. The chance will be there again. My journey doesnt end here, its just part of the rollercoaster of life. Ive learned many times over the years how to adapt to setbacks or changes in life, and I have always found a way to get back on top. So I know this time will be no different, I just have to be patient, keep doing what I can in the meantime. My time will come.

So the race came and went. I was tipping away with what I could do/felt like doing training wise. Part of this included running 80, 90 and 100km run weeks with the twins in their double buggy. This started out originally as a way to get them to sleep (running sometimes twice a day with them for their 2 naps). And then it became a way for me to kill 2 birds with one stone: I was able to look after the 2 of them and get some training in, without disrupting the day for anyone. So it got me thinking.

Maybe I could train to run a good marathon? You see for me when it comes to racing - I race to perform at my best. I dont like to race knowing I wont do myself justice because the training wasnt done. Being able to run with the double buggy was a guaranteed way I could still fit my training in regardless of anything else. So I had to set the next challenge for myself:

Can I run a 2:50 Marathon in Dublin? While doing the bulk of my training running with a double buggy and twins (which I have weighed and in total is ~32kg, and growing by the week!!)? I guess there is only one way to find out if I can do it!

So the Training Blog is coming back out for this one! I will do a weekly blog on what my training was for the week, what the sessions looked like, all the data and numbers for those who are interested, and lets see where we can get to with this one!

Another reason why I chose this particular challenge, is because out of the 3 disciplines, my run is the one that I have least tapped into my potential, especially in ironman racing. So having a focus on it now (while it is the only feasible option at the moment) should help benefit my racing going forwards in Triathlon!

 

Im excited to give this a go, so stay tuned for the next post where I will write out my training diary!

 

Cillian and the Twinnies :)