warning - man flu!

Last week was the first week without the school cycling - which was very different! It did free up a bit more time, which was appreciated, but did also drop a scheduled in not-really-negotiable ride. The week did not start very well, with a txt saying the pool temperature was 22 degrees - and I don't do cold water swimming! Took until Wednesday before I clicked that I could actually turn up with my wetsuit - which I did, but the pool was back to temperature by then. Missed two swims, gained one easy run in the process, and as I have Thursday morning free, did actually get to swim squad then as well. 
The weekend had a bit of a longer ride scheduled in - as Maddog was keen to ride to "Mt Auckland". Not really sure why - it is not really a mountain, and it is in the middle of nowhere, or maybe just this side of nowhere. I have only ridden out that direction a couple of times since living in Auckland (it is only 50-60km away), and every time the wind has been a right pain, and the road surface leaves a lot to be desired! Half a dozen of us set off - heading north west, with a nice north west wind blowing... Great - creeping from the start - at least there is potential for a tail wind home - but experience says that is unlikely. Three and a half hours of hills and head wind we creep into Wellsford (83km covered), plenty of wind, plenty of hills, and the potential for a 5 hour ride to blow out to 7 hours plus! A scone and a coffee to build some reserves for the trip home, and there is one call home for a ride... Might not be much waiting around on the trip home! Head back, with what should be a tail wind - and yes we are still riding INTO the wind! Damn it! Five km's later and the wind is sort off to the side, but definitely not a tail wind. At least the hills are not as steep going home, and without the strong head wind, I can actually climb them without looking for "extra gears" - something I have not had to do this year until this day! It is a bit of a quiet ride home, the friendly banter goes pretty quiet, and a puncture does not really help lift the spirits. We make it back, feeling sort of OK - all things considered, for having ridden for 6hours and 20minutes. The hundred and sixty something km's felt more like 200 plus, which was a little more depressing. But with K2 (200km bike ride/race) in less than a month, it was a good ride to get done.
On the Saturday before the ride I did feel like the beginnings of a cold come on. I figured the long ride would either kill the bugs or kill me. Went swimming Monday morning and felt like crap - which I sort of expected after the long ride. A run was just not going to happen. Started sneezing and getting the sniffles quite a bit, but no flu symptoms - so figured it was hay fever. Took some anti-histamines. Tuesday got up to go swimming and the "hay fever" was not getting any better - then a bit of a nice chesty cough... Oh right - it is not hay fever then... So 2 days pretty much in bed feeling like crap! I think I am almost over the worst of it now - so hopefully one more day off and then into some light training. It is the second bug for the winter, which is good for me. Usually I get 2-3 bugs that lay me up for a couple of weeks each time. This time I have not been hit that hard (hopefully only x2), and have avoiding a couple of bugs that other have got - that I would also normally get. So perhaps the heath is quite good - touch wood...
Next week (what was going to be this week) is really the start of a new phase in the build-up, and I think I am going to have to sharpen up a little! I certainly feel that overall I am fitter, although not really any faster. I can back days up a lot better (not great - but better), and I am probably now at a stage that I am fit enough to train properly! I don't feel that I have been at this level for 6-7 years!! I think I have been faster in that period of time, but not generally fit. If I did do something hard - it would take a week or more to recover from (or more). I do get tired training at the moment, everything feels sore, and I still have some shocking performances in training (mostly in the pool), but I can get up most days and get something done! 
There are at least two things I need to do far better moving forward - the long run and the weights! I would also like a couple of extra swims (to make 4 per week), but that is being a little picky! The other thing I really want to get into is a brick session. Now I run these every week as a squad session, but have not really had the opportunity to do them myself. I want to start with an easier swim-bike-run combo (small breaks between - such as breakfast is OK). Having said that, I think I am due for a bike TT, so I think that next week I am going to have to do a TT on my combo day, probably after a squad swim. I don't expect it will be fast, but hopefully it is not slow! 
Time to make some goals for the up coming month! So here they are:
1. two runs over 2 hours
2. survive K2 (200km bike race) - I have had bad experiences here! I think last time I punctured at 15km and 195km.
3. 25km bike TT - I don't think it will be much different - but just need to do it.
4. 2 brick sessions (swim-bike-run sessions in the same day)
5. get on top of work!! I do need to get this under control or it will seriously derail my training! Not only the time factor, but probably more so the stress (I don't like being behind all the time!)! 
6. I need to do something to spark my running up a little too - it is my weak link at the moment. I have not quite decided what that is, probably will be a bigger week of running... I do have a couple of test sessions I want to try, but more on that later...