Round one...

The season has really started now with a number of running and cycling races during the past month. After my first 10km event in Turku, I did another small 10km race in Salo but was greeted with much better conditions. Although the course was a little hilly, or very hilly actually, I managed to run 33 minutes even. Not my best time, but season is still very early and that was a tough tough course.

Unfortunately a few days after that I got nailed by a nasty flu virus that kept me out of training for almost a week with fevers and overall bad feeling. The time I was sick was also supposed to be my "spring training camp" over the Easter holiday. But instead of hitting the road for 5 hour bike rides, I was sleeping for 5 hour naps to try and get healthy.

Disappointing, but not much you can do when a virus comes. Just wait...

BUT... time moves along anyways. After a careful week of training to get back into things, I did my first bike race in four years! Crazy... when I left cycling I thought I would never race again. Too much stress, too much negative pressure, etc. But now here in Finland it is a different story. I can do what ever I want in a race and no one cares. No angry team directors. No pressure to win. Just ride the bike and try to make others suffer... well almost. I found out I have lost all power and acceleration needed for cycling. So I am able to attack in races all I want, but usually everyone has no problem catching me. So much for making people suffer! But at least I am able to get into breakaways and try to help my Chebici teammates. If there were any REAL hills (anything over 1km) in Finland, I could actually do something but I have never been so strong on flat terrain.

So, for bike racing I did the Turku road race (can't remember the name right now) as well as the Sipoo RR. Both were excellent training even though I got my ass kicked. I was pleased to at least be the person who started the key breakaway in both races.

In running, I managed to get healthy enough to compete at the Finnish 1/2 marathon championships. However, I learned a hard lesson or two about being properly prepared for that tough an event. I felt very good before the race so I planned on doing 1:10 pace. I started well but the problem came when I went through the first 5km time check in almost exactly 16 minutes! Voi ei... after that i knew it was going to be tough. I had completely blown my engine in the first 5km and after that only got slower and slower. I guess also that my body was not really recovered from the nasty virus I had only two weeks before.

During the last week I put in 20km of racing with the regional xc running champs and also a small 12km road race in Turku. Both went well and I am feeling positive about my progress in running. Maybe the cycling races have helped in this area as well.

Now onto my first block of triathlon competitions starting in two weeks. First up is Ironman 70.3 Austria where i competed last year with below average results. This year I will use it more for training purposes and try very hard to control my pace instead of max effort the whole day. I have some feeling that I will actually get a better result this way.

Only two weeks after Austria will be my 2nd large event with Ironman 70.3 Switzerland. I have been hoping to do this race since I began triathlon a couple years ago. Now I have the opportunity, I am hoping my fitness will be strong after the past few weeks plus the race in Austria.

Of course it is risky to try two 1/2 Ironman races within two weeks, but the courses are very similar and if I do my recovery properly, a good result in Switzerland is very possible.

Oki... now I have to get back to my normal job... gotta pay the bills some how!