AFTER a big five-week training block which concluded last weekend, I am now in the midst of a two-week taper leading into the race, which is next Sunday on the beautiful Mexican island of Cozumel.

The five-week block was among the highest volume I’ve ever done and I’m really pleased with how it all went.

I can safely say I am fitter, faster, stronger, happier and healthier than ever before. I was doing some big swim, bike and run mileage and recovering well day after day.

My coach and I are both really pleased with my current form. An average week involved about 20km in the pool, 200-250 miles on the bike and 40-50 miles of running. Coupled with gym work and massage/body work it certainly kept me busy!

Of course, I’ve not just stopped training now, but tapering sees training volume drop down – by approximately 30 per cent in the first week and then by 50 per cent or more (depending on how I am feeling day by day) in the week going into the race.

It can be a difficult time because the body has grown so accustomed to high volume exercise that it is not uncommon to feel antsy, restless and even lethargic.

Before I raced Ironman Mallorca, luckily I didn’t encounter any of these feelings, but no two tapers are ever the same.

I am travelling to Cozumel on Monday and it’s quite a journey: a five-hour flight from Los Angeles to Cancun before jumping on a bus from Cancun to Playa del Carmen.

I’ll then stay in Playa del Carmen on Monday evening before catching the hour-long ferry over to Cozumel.

When I’ve raced in Cozumel in the past, this has always been the most entertaining part of the journey, with a local band performing on deck for passengers. Fiesta time!

I’m feeling good for this race; I am excited. I know I can only control my controllables and execute my best race on the day, which is exactly what I plan to do. My 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile ride and marathon run going to be a whole lot of fun.

Thank you to all my sponsors, including Swindon’s Morris Owen Chartered Accountants and Virtua UK, for their continued support.

You can follow the race live next Sunday via www.ironman.com (it starts at 7.20am local time, that’s 12.20pm in the UK) and I’ll also be posting updates via my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @eklidbury.

I’ll be back in a fortnight in recovery mode and looking forward to returning to Swindon for Christmas.