The Challenges of Training for an Ironman While Overseas
I've sought out the challenge of completing the Busselton Ironman at the end of the year, and training itself is hard enough. The longest I ever ran in a week when training for a marathon was around 6-8 hours. Now, I've personally thrown myself into the deep end and regularly find myself training over 10 hours a week.
I know exactly what you're thinking right now: "You choose to do this, though." You're right. I love the feeling of seeking challenges and slowly breaking them down. The only way I've ever been able to do this is by outworking the task at hand. But this will have to change.
I'm extremely fortunate to be heading overseas shortly for six weeks. While my family plans out the things they want to see and do, I've been searching far and wide for ways to train for an Ironman while on holiday. The only answer I've found is to do what you can. This six weeks isn't about me (as much as I think it is), and doing what I can with what I have is all I can do. Running shouldn't be an issue, and I can really focus on getting back to a larger volume of training. Swimming isn't the best or the worst; there are pools and oceans to swim in, and lots of resistance training can be done wherever I am. Cycling is by far the worst, without a doubt. Unfamiliar roads, bikes, and languages don't mix too well with this discipline, and the struggle of finding road bikes to hire will mean indoor bike sessions will have to do.
Overall, it's a holiday, not a training camp, and focusing on maintaining my fitness shouldn't be too hard. I'll keep everyone posted on the weird and wacky solutions I come up with, and maybe I'll progress further in the right direction with the change-up in training.
Stay tuned for updates, and wish me luck on this unique adventure!