Weekly News Number 6

Routine or Progress?

It must be true that another seven days have already passed. Can you say that time moves faster when you are in a routine? I don’t think so. You move forward step by step, even if you cannot see the progress right now.

Starting with Pilates – and an Early Friday

I begin where my week began: in the Pilates studio. I can’t really remember what we did, but it comes to mind because it was my starting point. However, we need to jump to Friday’s class. I arrived there after two hours of intense swimming and waking up early at 4:40 a.m. The focus in the class was on the arms. So I knew it could become a challenge—especially with exercises where you move your arms in circles or in different directions.

As a triathlete, I can say this: sometimes you feel like you lack coordination. The more repetitive the movement, the better we are—or at least I am. I can immediately get into a flow, unlike with movements where I constantly have to think about what comes next.

I noticed, though, that I couldn’t really coordinate my legs with my arms. Is that the first sign of fatigue? What I can say is: no. Because later that Friday, I still managed to do quite a lot.

An Encounter in the Forest

Back to the weekly routine: as always, Monday is followed by Tuesday. That day I had a memorable encounter in the forest. I didn’t expect to see anyone, since there are signs everywhere saying no cars or motorbikes are allowed. But this isn’t Australia—where that somehow still happens.

I was riding my gravel bike along a trail when it suddenly became very loud. I thought: what is that? It sounds like a motorbike. So I stopped and stood at the side. Shortly after, two motorbikes sped past me, and all I could see was dust.

When the dust settled a little, I kept riding. I heard them turn off their engines, so I rolled toward them with a bit of respect, wondering what they might say. Their response was simply:“Wow, a road cyclist in the forest!”

I tried to explain that it was a gravel bike—but they probably didn’t understand and might still believe today that I rode a road bike through the forest. They were very friendly and considerate. I would have expected them to just race through the forest without looking. I actually found it quite funny.

Three Hours of Thoughts

My two long rides take place on Wednesday and Saturday—both lasting three hours. I spent the time listening to a podcast by Joel Filliol. He talks about his coaching style, shares experiences with athletes over the years, or invites other coaches to discuss their philosophies.

Joel is known for his short-distance training group in Girona, Spain. He has coached an incredible number of strong athletes—world champions and Olympic medalists. He is someone I could well imagine being coached by. If I were a short-distance athlete, I would seriously consider going to train in his group.

The Mega Friday

Then came the mega Friday. These days, everything has to be better, faster, and more spectacular. In my bubble, everyone posts their training. To outsiders, my Friday probably looked like one of those days. For me, it was simply a day of hard work—and that’s exactly what I want to keep doing again and again.

This week I had a good conversation where I had to remind someone that on Instagram, athletes usually only show the one big session. What they did before or after is never shown—and therefore easily forgotten. Social media is like a shop window: you only see what is currently on display. You never know what is behind it.

My afternoon looked like this: for the first time, I was able to do interval training again. Nothing crazy—three minutes each, always at threshold. The best part was the feeling afterward: I could have done several more intervals. And I had a lot of fun doing it.

Rain, Rest, and a Run Through the National Park

Then the weekend arrived, with plenty of rain and indoor trainer sessions. The positive side: in cooler weather, you can fully focus on sleep and even start a session after 8 a.m. That’s exactly how I finished my week.

At 8:30 a.m., I headed out for a run in the rain. It felt very easy, and my heart rate stayed low. So I spontaneously decided to jog through the national park. It’s wonderful to be in the forest without meeting anyone—except a few surfers walking across the park, only to realize that the waves aren’t as good as they had hoped.

One Step Closer to Geelong

And just like that, another week passes—and we are one step closer to the start line in Geelong. It could turn out well, right?

What I can definitely say is that I truly enjoy my week. Maybe it’s not exactly like in a picture book—but it’s good the way it is. I’m curious to see what can be achieved with real hunger on the start line.

Until Next Week

I will find out—and so will you, if you keep reading along until then. I’m just as curious about what I’ll have to tell next week.

Thanks for reading—we’ll read each other again soon.