Ironman Mark

I want to be a rugby referee.

Why?

I am not entirely sure but I do.

I have also been doing some things about it. I’ve been to a couple of  Rugby Referee Society meetings where I have met other referees, I have had a go at learning the rules.  Well laws, mentioning rules is a bad thing for rugby folk.  I’ve also booked myself on an Entry Level Refereeing Award course later this month.  Not only that but I have spent quite a lot of time watching games.  I find it very hard to understand what exactly is happening on the pitch, but I am getting better.

I also find that I am sticking up for the referee a lot more in the games.

I have also found a rugby refs forum, a site with 449 questions on the laws and even played a bit of touch rugby.

So what’s up with triathlon?  I’ve lost motivation over the last couple of years and so the plan is to spend more time running, swimming and rowing (and refereeing rugby) and less time on the bike.  I’ll still do triathlons but I am going to be taken in much less seriously than I did in, for example, 2009.

The picture above is at Ellingham and Ringwood rugby club.  It’s kind of worrying that signs like that are needed.

A bit late, but here is a summary of the hours from my six days of riding in Lanzarote:

- Swim: 3:18

- Bike: 26:40 (actual time moving)

- Run: 2:00

- Total: 31:58

Swim wise: Got stung by a few purple jellyfish.  Was surprisingly fast in a swim race – probably the waviest sea swim I have ever done.

Bike wise: I was way too slow compared with what I used to be.  I finished that IM course well, pushing the last hour. But my FTP has fallen hugely.

Run wise: This week wasn’t about the run.  I ran off a bike ride and my feet started to go numb after 27 minutes (left) and 32 minutes (right).  I did notice that my right achilles burnt when I stretched my foot part way through the run.