Spending the New Year in Southern California was a welcome break from the cold, dark Scottish winter. The change of scenery, and more importantly, the change in weather—made training feel completely different. There’s something special about being able to train outdoors in the warmth, especially in an open-air pool instead of battling through chilly indoor sessions back home.

Mornings started with surfing, which was an incredible way to wake up, but it also took its toll. By the time I went swimming in the afternoon, my arms were already noodled . That made sessions a bit more of a challenge. Cycling, on the other hand, was a bit less inspiring—riding an old exercise bike in a warm garage wasn’t exactly the ideal setup. Still, it was better than nothing, and at least I wasn’t dealing with numb hands and icy roads.

Coming home was tough. The jet lag made early mornings for school brutal, and adjusting back to the time zone took a while. But once that wore off, I realised how much the time away had helped refresh me. I felt ready to build into the next training block leading up to the first big race of the year: the British Triathlon Super Series Performance Assessments in Nottingham.

Now, it’s all about focusing on structured training and more strength work, gradually increasing the volume, and upping the intensity in swimming, cycling, and running. The season is just around the corner, and it’s time to focus and put in the work.