Weekly News Number 15
- Apr 23
- 3 min read
A Normal Week
The past week has been a fairly normal one and honestly, I’m not even quite sure what to write about it. But from a sporting perspective, it’s often exactly these kinds of weeks that move you forward. Just showing up day after day, putting in the work without any big highlights. It also means that not every session is a monster session it’s more like a job: just doing the work. And if you do that consistently over ten weeks, you start to see results.
Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself here, but it’s also a reminder for me as a coach. It’s the week-by-week work with athletes, and in most cases, it’s the most “boring” sessions that actually make you better. That’s exactly why Kurt and I have stuck to the same structure since the last race in Geelong. This way, I know every day which route I’ll run or ride, and I can execute the training exactly as planned. The program already provides enough variation, so repeating the same routes is absolutely fine.
Small Progress
Aside from training and firing up the grill a few times a couple of small highlights happened this week. One was that I was able to put up my coaching flyer in a few more places. I had a great conversation with Velo Plus in the city; they’re interested and want to hear more about my coaching plans. Thanks to a colleague, I was also able to display the flyer at the indoor swimming pool in Kreuzlingen, as well as at the sports facility on the west side of the city. If you have ideas for other places I should reach out to, feel free to let me know.
Another highlight was swimming in the ocean on Wednesday. I can feel my form improving in the pool, and I’ve had some really solid sessions, even under fatigue. That makes me curious to see what’s possible when I’m fully rested. In open water, however, I still struggle to stay relaxed and to draft behind others. I feel like my body position is still too unstable, which costs me speed. But as with everything: practice makes perfect. And with the opportunity to swim with Lotte Willms on Wednesday mornings, I have exactly the chance to work on it.
Looking Ahead
Right now, I feel like my form is coming back but I don’t want to say it too loudly just yet. I’m really enjoying training, I feel healthy, and I’m ready to race. In individual sessions, I can feel that I’m fit, but I also know that I still need to improve my bike form. I’m hoping to take another step forward after the race in Western Sydney.
At the moment, I tend to push too hard on the bike during races, which costs me too much energy. You notice it immediately on the run even with good nutrition, my runs off the bike haven’t been where I want them to be. Maybe I just need to start a bit more controlled for now, but that’s all part of the process. What I really appreciate is that we know exactly what we need to work on.
I think in the end, that’s the goal: to be able to say more often that I had a “boring” week because that’s when I know I’m doing the right things.
Next time, I’ll check in from race week and look back at how the final training week went. For now, we’re on a good path and managing to balance load and recovery well.
As always, if you’re planning a triathlon and would like some guidance, feel free to reach out the race season in Switzerland is just around the corner.
Until then, enjoy your training and make the most of the start of spring.
Cyrill
