Summer Break

I broke up from uni for the summer in may about a week before the British Paratriathlon and have been looking for work ever since, which isn't great! I still have 3 years to do at uni but need to at least work part time as I have a mortgage and live by myself. I always look on the bright side though, Iv had no money but have had time to watch our amazing Olympians doing great things and such an inspiration! I will also be going up to St Thomases on Wednesday they are marking the Paraolympics opening ceremony with an event to let Para Athletes talk to people about their sport and promote themselfs and invited me to come allong. Really looking forward to it and will try and head over to the park to see whats going on at some point!

My training since the end of may has gone brilliantly and for the last 8 weeks I have been preparing for Strathclyde International Paratriathlon on the 2nd September, a week tomorrow. It couldn't have gone any better over the last couple of weeks, knocking a minute off my 800 meter swim, a minute off 20K cycle and over 2 minutes off my 4 mile run. I have also been practicing the transitions all the time and T1 (swim to bike) has come down from 2 minutes to get my wetsuit off and get my leg on and now only takes 30 seconds a massive time saving! It is however a little unfortunate that this week the swim leg at Strathclyde has been cancelled due to poor water quality in the lock, due to weather conditions. So now it will be a duathlon, im a little disapointed after so much improvement on my swim and T1. It will be a 1500 meter run, 21K bike and 4.6K run which is okay as I have made massive improvements on the run but it's still not as stronge as my swim or bike. You never know on the day though and I have done loads of speed work on the track, either way really looking forward to it!!! My rest day wasn't till tomorrow but have taken it early and will take tomorrow off aswel and then start my tapper. I took today off as although my heart rate varience was showing a really good reading my lymph noddes in my groin were a little swollen to say the least. Its just a result of work, money stress and the build in training intensity but is very important to take rest when needed, we only have one body, look after it:) It's just the immune system doing it's thing I have had it in the past after operations or bad stressed weeks and with a couple days chilling and rest they go down. Mum, Dad and my brother as always are so supportive of everything I do and Mum and Dad have given me the money for accomadation which is a life saver as I just wouldn't have had the money!

On the same day I do Strathclyde my brother will be doing Hellvelyn Triathlon so we will travel so fare up together, head off to our different races then meet up again. He has a van so will go as fare as the lake district with him stay a night there then the following day get a train to Motherwell and stay the night there then race the next day. After the race in the afternoon will get a train back to the lakes to meet up with him again. It will be a little manich but should be allot of fun too as my triathlon coaches live there after moving there a couple of years ago so will meet up.

I think I have also had two new sockets since June the last is brilliant as for the first time all I need is the first gel liner and no cotten socks to bulk it out. Christina, my prosthesitist does a brilliant job and also managed to get me different suspension liners as my other ones would tear on the sockets while cycling then leak air, these ones are reinforced around the knee which makes sense. The sockets I have now are allot more deffined and sculpted as my stump shrinks down and takes shape they will no doubt keep changing but they are so helpful at Bowley Close and always happy to help however they can.