Train to win.

The set on Sunday rekindled my passion for training, for hard swim sets. I had to be careful not to get overwhelmed by the feeling and forget my commitment to a new sport.

Still training with the squad would be good for me. Good for tackling the loneliness I sometimes felt but also for fuelling my burning desire to never lose. I honestly hope the guys can step up, higher than I can and beat me. Nothing like a bit of competition to fuel great performance.

Monday morning was a set I am all to familiar with, 300 descending work. I have always preached that in sets such as this, one must start hard and descend. In essence the majority of the set is hard just varying degrees of it. I couldn't not practise what I preach, so I planned to lead from the start regardless of what Joe my only competition for the morning was doing.

Warm up was interesting, I gaped Joe on most of the reps and wondered if he was planning something for the set. A silent assassin so to speak. One of the girls, Keryn was also on my tail and I refuse to let girls beat me, regardless of the set.

I started the set with mixed feelings, anxiety and to be honest fear. Not fear of the set, but more fear of what I would do to myself in it, halfway through I could be near a coma if everything went to plan but I didn't have the stamina to back it up.

Number one, what did I have, what did Joe have, I had no idea how fast we would be starting. Touched the wall together at 3.34ish. Number one was just about shaking off the cobwebs, I would step it up.

The next two followed like the last, 3.30 and 3.27. I couldn't shake him, maybe this would be harder than I thought it would be. But I knew from experience the first set always went something like this. It was the second set, where I would start as fast as the previous 300 that would shake things up.

My eyes were on Joe mainly, a little on the pace clock just to check I was going fast enough. The real aim was to put as much water between me and Joe as possible, it didn't matter how hard I had to go to do it. 3.28, it annoyed me a little as it wasn't as fast as the last but a very good start to the set. Dean looked at me with a raised eyebrow, could I maintain.

I knew this was going to hurt, badly. But I had a point to prove, this is how training needs to be. I pushed the second of the set number six out a lot harder. The last 100 I moved bringing in the legs knowing with all my riding I could rely on them. 3.25 the clock stopped at. "Over reaching?" Dean asked. Through 3 dry reaches I shook my head, "no I got this." Bullshit I was overshooting this by a long shot, we both knew it but neither of us doubted my guts to hold on, but for how long?

The final 300 was messy, sloppy I was determined to not drop back. Joe stepped it up, pushing the first 150/200 gaining a few lengths on me. I couldn't have this. I put it all on the line, driving my legs and lunging with each stroke. I reeled him in touching him out just, through more dry reaching though he seemed a little more composed than I.

What have you got now Joe I thought to myself, forgetting the fact that I didn't descend and vomitted on the last one, still 3 to go.

I attacked the first of the final set just like any other 300. I think this was what gave me the ability to back up so well. In a set of reps I take each swim individually. In this set I was swimming one 300 no thought of the previous one, no thought of the ones to come. It was all about the one I was swimming and I attacked as a single swim. 3.31 I went for the first of the last set dry reaching again I was happy with the starting point.

The second one Joe lead, as much as I tried I was burning up, couldn't catch him as he touched in a time of 3.28 I barely descended 3.30 was all I could muster.

The last one it was all over. I had exhausted myself in the previous 8 reps, Joe easily took off. As Keryn pulled up beside me I realised I couldn't let her beat me. With a sprint finish I touched her out barely, 3.35.

My first real set back with the squad, I was content with my efforts. Better to die trying than to never know, I put it all on the line from the start and I finished as strong as I could.

We train to condition our bodies to deal with pain, develop our mental toughness. To work on skills and to fine tune our technique. So why not train ourselves to win. Every set we win, we condition the body to winning. Winning every session in turn conditions us to be winners on race day. Losing should never be an option, if someone truely wants to ve the best. Never back down!