The last few events I have done this year have very much been about finishing happy, completion, enjoyment, location, experience rather than competition.    It just seems that my Race Mode has not kicked in this year and currently like McLaren Honda F1 team not likely to appear before the end of season races and the final chequered flag falls.     However that doesn’t mean I’ve not been enjoying my triathlon, training and events I’ve entered. Or I’m slowing down to a crawl as I’m still getting STRAVA PB’s the odd QOM and top ten segments.  This years focus was 70.3’s and swim events in new locations for experience, enjoyment and to help loose the 10kg I gained since IMUK. So far so good – I’ve finished every race, thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere, experienced new locations and soaked up tha fab supporters. I’ve realised with inconsistent  training I can still take part with reduced expectations, just on a different level.     I’m not one for excuses or blame – I ate all the pies when not training after injury and I chose to put family first when my sister was very sick with pneumonia and other complications, then when we lost our best working dog and my mother in law within 3 days. So life has been a bit chaotic juggling dogs, kids, work, plus we’ve started on a kitchen extension on the cottage so can’t find a thing and every surface is covered in stone dust !     But no regrets, plenty of positives and above all I’ve had a ball just relaxing into a race no pressure or worries I’ve just gone out and done it to my best ability on the day. I’ve even downgraded in races to my road bike instead of carbon race bike and my old fat wetsuit as I’m comfortable with them and these are what I’ve swum in & riden on most this year.  Thankfully I’ve been injury free since my ribs and intercostal muscle damage so will carry on the rest of the year in present mode – Tri for Fun mode.  I really recommend having relaxed season and enjoy triathlon and sporting events for what they are. Very refreshing if you’re  honest with yourself that you’re  not at race pace and you can put your competitor race mode aside.  Plenty of new experiences and locations this year as I’ve taken part in my first two day charity bike ride, a river swim at Henley and have isoman the new format, Long Course Weekend and sea swims to look forward to. Also I’m part of relay teams doing swim legs at Outlaw & Cotswolds.  As McLaren Honda say – there are good times ahead again to look forward to. So I’ll be back next year and will use the remainder of this season and winter to set myself up Race Mode in 2016. Part of the excitement is picking and choosing new races.