Life is like a butterfly

Less than 6 days now until Ironman UK at Bolton, No taper madness for me! I thought I'd be bouncing off the walls this week with the down turn in training. Last week I only trained for 12 hours instead of the usual 16-18 and this week it will be even less. I just feel tired, heavy legged and have numerous aches and pains, at least that bit is typical taper. 

This week is the last week at work before the summer break too, so I have plenty to keep myself occupied with, and alcohol free end of term celebrations making for a  couple of late nights, I need early nights the rest of the week, with plenty of fluids and good food.

I have to be honest, when I think about Sunday, I get butterflies (nerves, excitement) I don't know which, I worry about forgetting things, being late, getting battered in the swim, a mechanical on the bike and not making cut offs, then I remember how hard I have trained, I've swum open water in varying temperatures since April, I raced 2.4 mile swim a couple of weeks ago. I've cycled hills and flats, long and short, with runs after. The longest being a 90 mile cycle with a 10 mile run and a 105 mile cycle with a 1.7 mile run. I've cycled on sunny, still days but the majority of my training was in wind and rain. And as for running I ran a hilly 23 miles last month and last week I ran a flat 30 miler. So yeah! I've trained hard, I aren't fast but I'm consistent and have endurance.

I can only control the controllables and hope that this year fate and Mother Nature are on my side.

If you don't push your limits, how do you know where your limits are?