Entering the home stretch 6 weeks out to Ironman lanza.

So we are getting there slowly but surely. I've a tough 4 weeks ahead of me and then two weeks of taking it fairly handy and then Race.........well take part.

My training partner Liam Dillon has put a big emphasis on this 4 week, himself and his coach Fernando Feuntes are going with a new training plan called zero to hero in 4 weeks. I would like to take this oppurtunity to wish him the very best of luck with that.

I've been very losely following a plan. To be honest I think you'd have to be unemployed to follow it to the letter there just isn't enough time in the day. I have been pretty consistent with my long bikes though getting out the last three sunday mornings for at least 4 hours. I've missed one or two long runs on the Saturday just with the shop been busy it hasn't always been possible to get out.

Swimming- Is down on last year big time. I was looking at my training log and last year I averaged about 8-12k a week in the pool at the moment i'm hovering around 6-8k a week. It doesn't seem to have made that much of a difference though to my times. I still seem to be able to hit close to the same times in the pool which is good and I feel like i'm the same as last year. It might all catch up on me.

Bike- I've been doing a similar amount of biking to last year. In fact in March 2013 I did 820k on the bike March just gone I did 860k on the bike so very close. My only worry on the bike is that since I've come off the turbo I seem to be struggling getting my average power high during a ride. Last year 200 watts was the figure I kept. So I'd let it go 20 watts up or down of that and usually averaged out at 200 by the end of the cycle. Now it's only at about 180 watts even on the shorter ones. My average speed is also a bit lower on some of the same loops as last year. So I have to conclude that the bike is in a worse state even though the training has been more specific and same volume.

Run- Last year my run like every year in the Ironman I was reduced to a walk. I'm still not sure if this is due to my biking ability or my running ability. I have jumped up the run mileage this year getting out three times a week (only ran long once a week last year). So I'm hoping to knock a bit of time off the marathon leg. I'd be happy if I could hold the swim at the same time as last year and the bike and to be able to knock an hour off my run I'd be coming back from lanza a happy man.