Queen of the Mountains

Reading over my blog you might think that I'm not enjoying this Ironman training very much. Not true -  that's just my natural, self-deprecating northern disposition, I'm absolutely thriving on it. Am I loving every single minute?  Of course not, but overall, it's the most amazing challenge I've ever undertaken and the enjoyment factor comes from pushing yourself hard and then getting days like today when you reap the benefits of all that hard work.
I've logged nearly 6-hours of hard training this weekend, yes my weary legs are aching slightly in their compression tights, and the thought of tomorrow's double day is looming large. But for now, I'm chuffed to bits with today's ride. Three hours of cycling doesn't sound much, but when you add in 3 significant climbs totalling 2,555ft of ascent, it starts to add up. But more importantly, I felt strong - tackling two grade four climbs after 30-odd miles of cycling was a breeze (well a stiff breeze!) and when I finished, it was straight into my running shoes for a quick 4-miler.

I'm not going to win any prizes out there, but it's all about the journey, and today feels like a few pieces of the jigsaw are falling into place. Quite nice to get a confirmation from Strava crowning my first ascent and telling me I was second female on one of the grade 4 climbs - that'll do nicely for now!