April has flown by. Training-wise my focus has been on the bike. I’ve still struggled to complete the high-intensity interval sessions I set myself, but I have spent a decent amount of time riding since the sunshine arrived!

Two races this month: 13th/132 overall and a 5k PB at the Dorney Duathlon, and my first ever win, 1st/15 at the first Eastleigh Aquathlon of the year.

Out on the bike, I’ve done some solo rides concentrating on position and technique, using simple routes (larger roads, smaller potholes, fewer T-junctions). These have been mixed in with the usual lunchtime blasts with Jon that take in whichever of the gravel-strewn pothole-ridden narrow local lanes we feel like when we turn out of the car park. Having decided not to seek out a regular club, it’s great to have someone with whom I’m pretty evenly matched to ride with at least a few times a month. I’ve also managed to keep up the twice-weekly morning mtb commute, which has been working better than I expected. Even the 7 km journey is enough to do a couple of decent bursts and wake up the metabolism on what would otherwise be complete rest days.

I was very apprehensive getting in the water for the first time this year, but was really pleased I did – a whole month earlier than in 2012. I had a second Sunday morning swim at Reading Lakes and then the Eastleigh Aquathlon for more open water practice. I can’t quite tell how I’m doing yet, but I’ve had some useful reminders of what works and what doesn’t. I probably ought to have been back in the pool as well, but I’ve not fitted that in…

I haven’t done much running this month. While I was in Bristol for work, I scouted the Bristol bike and run routes and fitted in a couple of comfortable runs with Duncan. He and I are doing the fun Emsworth-Basingstoke Relay on the same team again in the middle of May, and the brighter evenings meant we also managed to recce the Selborne to East Worldham leg together this week with another member of our team.

I dealt badly with pre-race nerves before the Dorney Duathlon, and despite getting in consistent training this month, my emotions have been all over the place. Doing the low-key Eastleigh Aquathlon was a good idea, because I managed to stay relaxed in the build up. Hopefully I can keep that through May and into June. I have two more warm-up races next month (the Box End Aquathlon and the All Nations Triathlon) which will be good testers for the mental side of things before my ‘A’ race, Nottingham Triathlon. (With people like Danny Russell racing in the same wave as me at Box End, I know I’m not even going to see bubbles and dust from the leaders!)

I’m going to take a few light days at the start of May and try to kick the virus that’s been hanging around making me feel slightly lousy this last week, and do plenty of stretching to sort out the tightness in my left hip, leg and foot.

Finally, here’s the comparison between this month’s training, last month, and last year.