Clumber Park Duathlon 2018

Life seems so much simpler to me when I have clarity and clear direction, so I recently sat down and wrote some plans which included a desire and a come-back to a healthier and fitter me.

I turn 28 this year and although I’ve not raced in two years, I feel like I have spent my time well on other areas of personal development and as a result, I feel mentally and physically ready to commit to life in a much better way. By life, I mean everything, especially the ability to take negativity and turn it into positivity and I truly believe life is what you make it. I have made a promise to myself to never become complacent and to always follow my own path. With this in mind, four weeks ago I decided to commit to a six month training plan with the aim of qualifying for the Sprint Duathlon World and European Championships in 2019.

I am a month into my six month plan, and Clumber Park Sprint Duathlon seemed a fun tester event to set a benchmark of my fitness and to experience a race again. I finished runner-up in my age-group, qualified for the European Championships a lot earlier than I had thought I would, felt strong and in control and I am happy with the early progress I have made. I also noticed the guys who finished ahead of me in other age-groups and I now know how much work I’ve got to do to be right up there in the overall standings. My ambition is well and truly alight and I’m using this to keep me in a good mental place by having a clear focus.

Moving on from this race, my aim is to stay motivated, consistent, sensible and take each day as it comes.

Things that I have learned over the last couple of years:

• Never ever set myself limits. There are no limits.
• Train and race smarter; not harder. There’s a time and a place for kick-ass hard sessions, just not every day.
• Make a plan and stick to it.
• Discover the entertainment value in ‘everything’ I do.
• Set goals as possibilities and not as expectations.

About the author: Alister Brown is an avid runner and represents Great Britain as an age group duathlete.