Today was probably my toughest day in the sport. I knew that I was either going to go into the race firing, or completely underdone. My week in Morocco wasn't a very pleasant experience, and I think my well being was on the way out. There were times in my hotel room where I found myself close to packing my bags and heading home. I was counting down the hours until I left for Madrid, hoping that it would all turn out fine in the end. Nevertheless, lessons have been learned.
Madrid is the kind of race where you need to have your preparation perfect, because the course is utterly relentless. Despite having the best middle distance runner ever, Morocco definitely is not a place for athletes. There was simply no place to train and my form slowly withered. I tried to convince myself that this would be good to embrace as a taper, but I was proved wrong today. The swim actually felt easy, and I swam 2nd on Polyanksy's feet quite comfortably. We immediately had a little gap on the bike, but as soon as we started rolling consistently I could feel myself cooking. The hill every lap made sure the deal was sealed, and I knew my race was over by the 3rd lap. Even sitting in the bunch when we were caught, I simply could not recover, and I eventually accepted my fate on the run. All in all, a very tough day. However I think I have exited with a renewed motivation to train, and I can't wait to get back to my base in Germany. My next race will be in Brasschat in Belgium at the end of this month, and I'm looking forward to getting some good work in before then.
Take it easy,
Josh
Hi Josh,
ReplyDeletelife's experiences are a great learning curve- you did your best on the day and that's all that counts. At times we have to lose big time before we can win big time. We have confidence in you son, we love you and are very proud of you in that you are honest and can admit defeat in the face. Keep your pecker up - your day will come. Love Dad xx
Yours is one of the most heartfelt and honest blogs I have read. You have the ability to write extremely well and get to the point with complete honesty. You are both a gifted athlete and a hard worker, with the temperament to persist. All these are the ingredients for success. Keep faith in yourself and it will happen.
ReplyDeleteOne's best success comes afer their greatest disappointment - good luck with training over the next few weeks and your next race, like the other commentors have said, your day will come!
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