As I said goodbye & good riddance to January I have embraced February like an old friend ready to go on fresh adventures.

For me this is the start of my New Year, time to commit to and focus.

To see how far I’ll travel this year I needed to draw a line in the sand and get some benchmark tests done. Only 30 weeks to ironman Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

This has been Test Week for me – I did the best I could on the day

• Swim sets have been swum.
• Runs have been done.
• Wattbikes & turbos have been spun.

Some great successes & shockers –

Run 5 mile was my fastest Garmin recorded 5 miles for 2 years.

Didn’t know whether to piss my pants or puke at the end !

Strava told me I had a PR for the route and a few little medals for my efforts.

Garmin told me my HR was revving high at 198max so I know I gave it my all.

My legs & lungs were screaming at me to slow down or stop.

My head said don’t quit, do your best, keep going.

Wattbike FTP 20 mins are a love / hate test but I was pleased to push out an additional 10 watts of power than my last test.

I sweated buckets and squirmed around to take pressure off arms ( bruises from crash).

Not sure how but I didn’t drown in the 500m swim time trial test but posted an absolute shocker which proves you cannot stay out of the pool for 6 months and switch swim fitness & speed back on.

So my run was better than expected, cycling improving to get back to pre asthma levels and let’s say the swim needs some attention- like get in the pool more than once every three months Zoe would help !

So I now have the scores on the doors and know what I have to beat next time.

Other changes include finishing The Chimp Paradox, by Prof Steve Peters. It’s clear that while my chimp is mostly well behaved it was running riot in January. Well it’s now back in its box and under control. I’ve also learnt to identify when others chimps are acting up. Not so much new information but presented in a new way of viewing our own and others personalities and a good refresher & reminder of mind management.

I was lucky to be given Gordon Ramsey’s FitFood book from a friend which has thrown up a number of Firsts for me !

It is my first cookbook, I’ve followed my first recipe – delicious Coconut & Pea & Chilli soup.

I will be heading out tomorrow with a weekly meal planner and a shopping list again two more firsts !

Food & fitness are my focus this February- I have the tools, plans in place, 28 daily plank challenge and my passion reignited to succeed.

My bike is repaired from the crash at a cost of £150 (ouch) and ready to go back on the road. New cleats on cycle shoes complete the fixes – so exciting !

What the difference a week makes.

Bring on that Dragon 🐉 I’m back on plan.