On December 3rd, 2017, after almost 10 years, I was finally back at the starting line for a middle-distance triathlon, the Sandman Triathlon in Swakopmund. I have already reported in detail on the preparation and the race, but in the last few weeks of the preparations for Namibia it was clear to me that that couldn't have been the end of it. Because of course there were and still are some goals to be achieved:
- My project "Way to Swakopmund" was about getting reasonably fit again, but then staying fit. Ie sport should (again) be integrated into my normal life. That's not easy for me, because I sometimes have a very time-consuming and travel-intensive job. But now, whenever I meet my colleagues, I try to encourage them to do a training session together.
- I still haven't reached my previous normal weight. I was actually always between 70 and 75 kilograms and I would like to at least reach the upper limit again. Life is then simply “easier” for me and I can do a lot of things much more relaxed. And of course, with a few kilos less, you simply run faster.
- I still have the Sub9 topic on the long-distance agenda. That was my plan in 2008, but on a sporty day I missed my sporting goal, but privately I hit the bull's eye.
- There are still a lot of great races or competitions or just challenges that I find exciting. At the age of 44, I am no longer at the best age as an athlete, so “beautiful” challenges that are attractive to me are on my agenda. I probably won't be able to improve my 10km best time.
So there is still a lot to do. In order to achieve the goals described above, the "12 in 12" project, i.e. 12 challenges in 12 months, is on my program for 2018.
Off to Israel
The first challenge for 2018 is the Israman. The race is known for its high altitude, strong wind and large temperature differences. This makes Israman a real challenge. Yesterday - three days before the race - I traveled to Tel Aviv. Today I was able to see the city there and in the afternoon I went through the Israeli desert to Eilat, where the race takes place on Friday. You can find out how the preparations for Israman went and what else is on the agenda for 2018 in the next few blogs.
Register now in the triathlon.de Strava Club!
You want to know more about me? Then become my friend on Facebook: Ralph on Facebook
