Well, the time has come! I've trained as much as I'm going to train. I've prepped as much as I'm going to prep. I'm carbo-loaded from a big pasta dinner tonight. I'm charged up by some very inspirational speakers who reminded me exactly why I'm doing this. And I'm ready to go!
I check in at the transition area at 4am, and my wave will start at 9:15am. So, I should be done by early afternoon, and I plan on making good use of the beer tent afterwards! ;-)
Thanks to all my family, friends, and colleagues who have contributed, and for the tremendous amount of encouragement and support you've provided me throughout! This has been a tremendous experience, and I feel proud not only of my journey, but of all the people who have helped along the way.
I'll post final numbers in the near future, but suffice it to say that not only did we do a great job in fundraising for LLS, but Team in Training sailed past their overall goal, and broke a record doing it! That's quite an accomplishment considering the economy... and it's a testament to what a great cause it is.
Anyway, I'll check in tomorrow night and let you know how it went. Good night all! And thanks again!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Only One More Day of Training, and then... !!!
This has been a taper-down week, meaning my training sessions have been MUCH easier this week than previous weeks. Over the weekend we worked in our last major training sessions, and then scaled WAY back.
Saturday was what they call a 'mini-brick'. In this training session, we did three rounds alternating between bike (20 minutes) and run (15 minutes) - totaling 60 minutes of bike and 45 minutes of run. It was an absolutely gorgeous morning, and I really enjoyed it! Even better... I felt strong throughout. I ultimately did almost the distance of the course, so if that was any indicator of what to expect in the race I should be in pretty good shape. Of course, there's always the swim first though...
Sunday was 50 minutes on the bike. This was another beautiful day and another strong performance. I went further on this ride than I have on any of my previous 50 minute jaunts. Again, it encouraged me for the race.
Monday was a rest day. I thought about trying to make up for the swim I missed on Friday, but decided against it. The coaching team has been very insistent that this week is for tapering - and NOT to over-train. For once, I'll listen and obey.
Tuesday was a 30 minute bike. Since I had dropped the bike off at the shop for a pre-race tune up, I decided to go to the gym and ride on the spin cycle. BIG MISTAKE. I worked up a pretty good sweat in the 30 minutes, and felt good as I was leaving the gym. But as I got into the car, I noticed that I had strained my lower left back a little bit. No big deal... but I should have known better than to switch from a regular bike to spin cycle this late in my training plan. As the evening went on, the back strain started hurting more and more. It wasn't until I woke up at 2am in agonizing pain that I realized I could have a real problem here. I went downstairs, popped some ibuprofen, and iced it down.
Wednesday, when I woke up, it still hurt - but I could tell that it was already on the mend. I did lots of stretching and decided not to dwell on it. By end of day Wednesday, it was feeling much better.
And I was glad, too, because Wednesday evening was the last open water swim exercise. We did a 'corral practice' in Lake Michigan. This is where we all jumped in the water in our wetsuits, floated in a tight group in water too deep to stand, and practiced our starting strategies. Faster / stronger swimmers lined up in front, weaker swimmers toward the back. The strategy is to let all the fast people go first so they don't trample the slow people. I positioned myself with the slow group, but think that perhaps I will end up more in the middle of the pack. We'll see.
To add a little adventure to the exercise, the weather gods decided to treat us with 60 degree temperatures and rain. The lake was very choppy, and it was FREEZING! On my way down to the beach, some people stopped me and said 'aren't you freezing in shorts'??? I said that I was much more concerned about how cold it was going to be when I jump in the lake. They thought I was kidding. When I told them I was serious, they were so incredulous they had to follow and watch. They got a real kick out of the whole spectacle!
After the swim, we walked down to the transition area and got a first-hand look at the environment we'll have to navigate on Sunday. Once the transition area is set up, I'll have to walk the route a couple times to make sure I've got a good strategy on how to get through the transition process quickly and efficiently.
Tonight was just a 15 minute run. Of course, the weather gods were still having their fun. It was upper 50's and raining when I ran. I was pretty soaked by the time I got back to the house. I hope I don't get pneumonia before the race! At least my back is almost completely recovered. Just get me to the race in tact, I ask!
Tomorrow is a light swim. Then Saturday I head down for registration and the big expo. I'll buy some race paraphernalia such as a race belt (which clips on my race number without having to safety pin) and a chip strap (which will hold my computer chip that tracks my progress). I'm sure I'll pick up a bunch of other stuff I really don't need, too.
I'll post at least one more time before the race. I've had a few questions about whether there is an option to track my race online. I have not found that option anywhere, but I will confirm and let folks know in my next blog entry.
Almost there!!!
Saturday was what they call a 'mini-brick'. In this training session, we did three rounds alternating between bike (20 minutes) and run (15 minutes) - totaling 60 minutes of bike and 45 minutes of run. It was an absolutely gorgeous morning, and I really enjoyed it! Even better... I felt strong throughout. I ultimately did almost the distance of the course, so if that was any indicator of what to expect in the race I should be in pretty good shape. Of course, there's always the swim first though...
Sunday was 50 minutes on the bike. This was another beautiful day and another strong performance. I went further on this ride than I have on any of my previous 50 minute jaunts. Again, it encouraged me for the race.
Monday was a rest day. I thought about trying to make up for the swim I missed on Friday, but decided against it. The coaching team has been very insistent that this week is for tapering - and NOT to over-train. For once, I'll listen and obey.
Tuesday was a 30 minute bike. Since I had dropped the bike off at the shop for a pre-race tune up, I decided to go to the gym and ride on the spin cycle. BIG MISTAKE. I worked up a pretty good sweat in the 30 minutes, and felt good as I was leaving the gym. But as I got into the car, I noticed that I had strained my lower left back a little bit. No big deal... but I should have known better than to switch from a regular bike to spin cycle this late in my training plan. As the evening went on, the back strain started hurting more and more. It wasn't until I woke up at 2am in agonizing pain that I realized I could have a real problem here. I went downstairs, popped some ibuprofen, and iced it down.
Wednesday, when I woke up, it still hurt - but I could tell that it was already on the mend. I did lots of stretching and decided not to dwell on it. By end of day Wednesday, it was feeling much better.
And I was glad, too, because Wednesday evening was the last open water swim exercise. We did a 'corral practice' in Lake Michigan. This is where we all jumped in the water in our wetsuits, floated in a tight group in water too deep to stand, and practiced our starting strategies. Faster / stronger swimmers lined up in front, weaker swimmers toward the back. The strategy is to let all the fast people go first so they don't trample the slow people. I positioned myself with the slow group, but think that perhaps I will end up more in the middle of the pack. We'll see.
To add a little adventure to the exercise, the weather gods decided to treat us with 60 degree temperatures and rain. The lake was very choppy, and it was FREEZING! On my way down to the beach, some people stopped me and said 'aren't you freezing in shorts'??? I said that I was much more concerned about how cold it was going to be when I jump in the lake. They thought I was kidding. When I told them I was serious, they were so incredulous they had to follow and watch. They got a real kick out of the whole spectacle!
After the swim, we walked down to the transition area and got a first-hand look at the environment we'll have to navigate on Sunday. Once the transition area is set up, I'll have to walk the route a couple times to make sure I've got a good strategy on how to get through the transition process quickly and efficiently.
Tonight was just a 15 minute run. Of course, the weather gods were still having their fun. It was upper 50's and raining when I ran. I was pretty soaked by the time I got back to the house. I hope I don't get pneumonia before the race! At least my back is almost completely recovered. Just get me to the race in tact, I ask!
Tomorrow is a light swim. Then Saturday I head down for registration and the big expo. I'll buy some race paraphernalia such as a race belt (which clips on my race number without having to safety pin) and a chip strap (which will hold my computer chip that tracks my progress). I'm sure I'll pick up a bunch of other stuff I really don't need, too.
I'll post at least one more time before the race. I've had a few questions about whether there is an option to track my race online. I have not found that option anywhere, but I will confirm and let folks know in my next blog entry.
Almost there!!!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Double UGH!
So much for staying the course this week on my training plan! Yesterday, as I had feared, I was not able to work in my bike ride. In the morning, it was raining too hard to safely venture out (on my brother's fancy bike), and in the evening I had to be downtown for race prep.
The race prep was very valuable in that they walked us through what to expect on the day of the race. They gave an overview of the course, talked about the transition area (and how to set it up), gave pointers on things to bring and not to bring, and answered a wide range of questions from the team. I think the part that sunk in the most for me was that we have to check in at the transition area at 4:00am. That is not a misprint. 4:00am.
Anyone who knows me well will attest that I am NOT a morning person! This is going to be challenging! I was already worried about how well I'll perform doing a morning triathlon (thinking 8am or later) since I do most of my training at night; but I had no idea that the day would start THAT early. I've decided to try being an 'early to bed, early to rise' kind of guy the rest of the week to see if I can adjust my body clock a little in that direction.
Aside from the time shocker, I was glad to learn more about race day and feel like I have a better handle on what to expect. I am now starting to feel a genuine mix of excited anticipation and mild dread. I imagine it will gnaw at me more as the event draws near.
Tonight was my swim training session. My brother sent me a cool online virtual swim trainer that shows the perfect swim stroke from all angles. I studied that a little last night and was looking forward to seeing how much I could improve my stroke - since this is one of my last swim training sessions before the race. I also ate some gel cubes when I got to the gym to see how my stomach handles them when I exercise.
Donned in swimsuit and goggles... anxious to try out my new swim techniques... energized by some unnatural gelatinous substance to fuel my swim... I headed out to the pool. As I mentally recited my routine for the evening (200m warm-up, 3x50m drills, 1x800m TI4 / TI2 alternating intensities, 1x100m 'spot the buoy', and 100m cool down) it took me a minute to notice that no one was in the pool area other than some kid who was brushing down the main lap pool.
He looked at me for a minute with that "what are you, some kind of moron?" look, opened the door I just walked through, and pointed emphatically to the sign that said "all indoor pools are closed for the evening due to a special concert event sponsored by the gym". He politely suggested that the outdoor pool was open until 8pm (weather permitting) but it was raining and 62 degrees, so they may shut that down soon, too. 'Nuff said. Of course I didn't bring any other gym clothes, so I couldn't change plans and run or bike.
Missing the swim was part two of my 'Double UGH' title for tonight's blog. Part one was missing the bike yesterday.
I guess I'll try to make up the swim this weekend. Tomorrow morning is a 'mini-brick' workout, where we will alternate between run and bike several times. After that, start the 'taper down' process.
I'm sure the mini-bricks will be a good workout, and I really hope to work in one more swim.
We're heading down the home stretch! I expect this will be a long week. Stay tuned!
The race prep was very valuable in that they walked us through what to expect on the day of the race. They gave an overview of the course, talked about the transition area (and how to set it up), gave pointers on things to bring and not to bring, and answered a wide range of questions from the team. I think the part that sunk in the most for me was that we have to check in at the transition area at 4:00am. That is not a misprint. 4:00am.
Anyone who knows me well will attest that I am NOT a morning person! This is going to be challenging! I was already worried about how well I'll perform doing a morning triathlon (thinking 8am or later) since I do most of my training at night; but I had no idea that the day would start THAT early. I've decided to try being an 'early to bed, early to rise' kind of guy the rest of the week to see if I can adjust my body clock a little in that direction.
Aside from the time shocker, I was glad to learn more about race day and feel like I have a better handle on what to expect. I am now starting to feel a genuine mix of excited anticipation and mild dread. I imagine it will gnaw at me more as the event draws near.
Tonight was my swim training session. My brother sent me a cool online virtual swim trainer that shows the perfect swim stroke from all angles. I studied that a little last night and was looking forward to seeing how much I could improve my stroke - since this is one of my last swim training sessions before the race. I also ate some gel cubes when I got to the gym to see how my stomach handles them when I exercise.
Donned in swimsuit and goggles... anxious to try out my new swim techniques... energized by some unnatural gelatinous substance to fuel my swim... I headed out to the pool. As I mentally recited my routine for the evening (200m warm-up, 3x50m drills, 1x800m TI4 / TI2 alternating intensities, 1x100m 'spot the buoy', and 100m cool down) it took me a minute to notice that no one was in the pool area other than some kid who was brushing down the main lap pool.
He looked at me for a minute with that "what are you, some kind of moron?" look, opened the door I just walked through, and pointed emphatically to the sign that said "all indoor pools are closed for the evening due to a special concert event sponsored by the gym". He politely suggested that the outdoor pool was open until 8pm (weather permitting) but it was raining and 62 degrees, so they may shut that down soon, too. 'Nuff said. Of course I didn't bring any other gym clothes, so I couldn't change plans and run or bike.
Missing the swim was part two of my 'Double UGH' title for tonight's blog. Part one was missing the bike yesterday.
I guess I'll try to make up the swim this weekend. Tomorrow morning is a 'mini-brick' workout, where we will alternate between run and bike several times. After that, start the 'taper down' process.
I'm sure the mini-bricks will be a good workout, and I really hope to work in one more swim.
We're heading down the home stretch! I expect this will be a long week. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Final Double-Header
Tonight was my last back-to-back session of tri training and strength training. I started with a swim session that included 200m warm-up, 3x50m drills, 4x150m pyramids (TI2, TI3, TI4, TI4, TI3, TI2 - where TI=Training Intensity, and each leg is 25m), 1x300m 'spot the buoy' exercise, and a 200m cool-down. It went pretty well, but my swimming just doesn't feel as strong as it should be.
I was fortunate that my Team In Training mentor just happened to be working out at the same time, same pool, and in the next lane over. What are the odds? He gave me some good pointers on my 'spot the buoy' technique, and it was a familiar critique. I lift my head too far out of the water when I take a breath, and I lift my head WAY higher than necessary to 'spot the buoy'. I need to learn how to keep my head down while I'm swimming. There's not much time left for that lesson to sink in!
[For those who are wondering, the 'spot the buoy' exercise is important because I will need to look ahead every 12 strokes or so to make sure I'm not veering too far off course]
After finishing the swim, I headed upstairs for strength training with Janelle. She put me through my paces - focusing primarily on legs, biceps, triceps, and core (abs / lower back). We stayed away from chest and lats/traps, as those are the exercises we believe aggravate my neck.
I've decided that once the triathlon is over, and I focus more heavily on strength training again, I'll make a habit of doing a full cardio workout before strength. It seems that it gives me more energy and makes the strength training better - believe it or not!
So this is it for strength training! I'll wait until after the tri before I start lifting again.
Tomorrow is supposed to be a bike ride, but I'm not sure how I will fit it in. The morning is supposed to be very rainy with thunderstorms, and in the evening I'm supposed to go downtown for race prep (learning about the course, getting tickets for pre / post events, etc). I may have to skip my training session tomorrow... we'll see.
I was fortunate that my Team In Training mentor just happened to be working out at the same time, same pool, and in the next lane over. What are the odds? He gave me some good pointers on my 'spot the buoy' technique, and it was a familiar critique. I lift my head too far out of the water when I take a breath, and I lift my head WAY higher than necessary to 'spot the buoy'. I need to learn how to keep my head down while I'm swimming. There's not much time left for that lesson to sink in!
[For those who are wondering, the 'spot the buoy' exercise is important because I will need to look ahead every 12 strokes or so to make sure I'm not veering too far off course]
After finishing the swim, I headed upstairs for strength training with Janelle. She put me through my paces - focusing primarily on legs, biceps, triceps, and core (abs / lower back). We stayed away from chest and lats/traps, as those are the exercises we believe aggravate my neck.
I've decided that once the triathlon is over, and I focus more heavily on strength training again, I'll make a habit of doing a full cardio workout before strength. It seems that it gives me more energy and makes the strength training better - believe it or not!
So this is it for strength training! I'll wait until after the tri before I start lifting again.
Tomorrow is supposed to be a bike ride, but I'm not sure how I will fit it in. The morning is supposed to be very rainy with thunderstorms, and in the evening I'm supposed to go downtown for race prep (learning about the course, getting tickets for pre / post events, etc). I may have to skip my training session tomorrow... we'll see.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
What a GREAT run!
Tonight was a basic 50 minute run, and it was fantastic! I think the massage on Sunday really paid off, and yesterday's break from training was a real rejuvinator. While I've skipped my share of training sessions this summer, yesterday was a rare instance where I actually did nothing in it's place. After work I came home, watched some TV, updated my blog, and went to bed early.
It's amazing what a little rest can do for you! When I headed out for my run tonight, I could immediately tell that I had my mojo going. I felt energized, focused, and strong. More importantly, I felt like I could run for days. My pace was solid from beginning to end. Hills didn't phase me at all, and when I reached the end of my (6 mile?) route, I realized I still had 5 minutes left to fill - so I ran past the house for a ways and turned back. If only I feel half as good the day of the race!
It's amazing what a little rest can do for you! When I headed out for my run tonight, I could immediately tell that I had my mojo going. I felt energized, focused, and strong. More importantly, I felt like I could run for days. My pace was solid from beginning to end. Hills didn't phase me at all, and when I reached the end of my (6 mile?) route, I realized I still had 5 minutes left to fill - so I ran past the house for a ways and turned back. If only I feel half as good the day of the race!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Too Busy to Blog
I can't believe it's been 3 weeks since I've updated this blog! While I may have been remiss in my writings, I certainly haven't been skipping out on the training (or at least not TOO bad). Here are some of the highlights...
Overall, training is going very well. The week of 7/27 was a concern because I had friends visiting for a long weekend (7/29-8/3), and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the training plan. I'm happy to report that I was able to adhere to the schedule all week, thanks to my friends who were very understanding, patient, and supportive. The running, biking, and swimming were all good that week, and I think I made good progress.
The following week, I traveled to Rhode Island on Wednesday night and returned Thursday night. This meant I missed an open water swim - which I REALLY wanted to do - but I had no choice. Ultimately, I missed a couple training sessions that week. Monday was a rest day, Tuesday night I swam 2000m in the pool (500m longer than the actual race distance), Wednesday I skipped training, Thursday I ran in Providence, and Friday I skipped my swimming session (I was WAY too tired and had to drive up to Madison that night).
Sidebar: Running in Providence is almost as bad as driving there! I asked the hotel for a jogging route, and they gave me a handy little card to use as a reference for a 5 mile run. What they didn't tell me was half of the streets they referenced changed names several times on the route, and many of the streets weren't marked with signs at all - at least not on the blocks I was supposed to turn! A run that should have taken me about 40 minutes ended up being 55 minutes! Oh well, I felt good that I was able to work in an early morning run while traveling.
My weekend in Madison (8/8&9) was GREAT! I went up there to train with my brother Brad (who has done a couple of Iron Man Triathlons), and it was well worth the trip! On Saturday, I ran about 6 miles in a steady rain, which actually felt very nice. I was treated with a bonus of celebrating my sister-in-law's 45th birthday, which included a 'birthday challenge' that consisted of a wide variety of fitness challenges in increments of 45. She started with a 22.5k run (half of a 45k - in a major thunderstorm no less), and pounded through weights, cardio exercises, rock climbing problems, and more. She really rocked! Her birthday challenge put my triathlon to shame!
Anyway... back to training... Sunday represented a real turning point for me. Early in the morning, Brad and his friend Stan took me to Lake Monona for some open water swim practice. Before we starting swimming, I asked to spend some time just floating around in the wetsuit. It had occurred to me that both times I swam in Lake Michigan I didn't have a chance to really test out the suit. We always jumped in and went right for the swim course. I never had the opportunity to 'just hang'.
So we did... and boy was I glad we did! While I knew that the suit was buoyant, I didn't realize just how buoyant it was! I pretty much floated without having to tread water at all! That more or less dispelled any fears I had, which meant I could focus my mental and physical energy on the task at hand - good swimming form and rhythm. We swam about 2000m in the lake, and while I still have a lot of room for improvement, I feel confident that I will do OK in the race. I now know that if I start getting panicky, or too tired, I can just stop... and I will float. Nice.
But that wasn't all. After swimming, and a light breakfast, we then moved on to the biking portion of the day. It turns out Madison has a phenomenal network of biking paths that skirt in and around the city, and we took full advantage of them. We probably covered about 20 miles, and I was able to practice my form using the 'tri bars'. It was a great workout, and I'm feeling more and more comfortable every time I ride. Doing a 'double-header' also made me feel better about the training sessions I skipped earlier in the week. The net result is I missed one session that week. Not bad considering I traveled.
Sunday afternoon, we headed back to Chicago, and I couldn't have been more pleased with the weekend. Thanks Brad! It was nice spending time with the family, too!
Last week included more travel, and I must admit that again I missed a couple sessions.
Monday was supposed to be a rest day, but I swam instead - knowing that I was going to miss a couple days later in the week. I followed the swim routine I missed the Friday before, which was challenging. I was really tired from an exhausting weekend... and it probably wasn't my best effort... but I did it. And that's what counts.
Tuesday and Wednesday were travel days and I was not able to work in a training session. Thursday I had fitness training, and planned on running afterwards. Unfortunately, Janelle (my trainer extraordinaire) did such a good job of kicking my ass that I was too jittery and queasy to run afterwards. After less than 3 minutes on the treadmill, I gave up. That's OK. I'm pretty sure I know how to run.
Friday night I still felt wiped out, and skipped yet another swim session. UGH! That means the net for the week was (-3). One could argue that it was (-2) if you count the strength training toward my workout regimen. Either way, I slipped some last week.
I did, however, have another very productive weekend. Saturday I went to team training, which included an '80/40' - 80 minutes on the bike and 40 minutes of running. It was a great workout, and it boosted my confidence somewhat. Between the swim / bike last weekend and the bike / run this weekend, I'm starting to feel like I'm in good enough shape to make it through this triathlon. Sunday I topped off the week by running about 7 miles from the house to the gym, and treated myself to a 90 minute hot stone massage when I got there. Yes, it was very soothing and sorely needed!
So that's how I spent the last three weeks. Today is a rest day, and I took advantage of it without remorse. Looking ahead... I need to be really serious about adhering to the program this week, as this is the last REAL week of training before I begin tapering for the race. I can't believe it's true, but the race is one week from Sunday! I don't know if I'm excited, scared, or both! Truthfully, I think it's both. At this point, I just want to get through this.
I'll try to post daily between now and the race. Thanks to all who are following the blog! I appreciate your support and encouragement!
Overall, training is going very well. The week of 7/27 was a concern because I had friends visiting for a long weekend (7/29-8/3), and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the training plan. I'm happy to report that I was able to adhere to the schedule all week, thanks to my friends who were very understanding, patient, and supportive. The running, biking, and swimming were all good that week, and I think I made good progress.
The following week, I traveled to Rhode Island on Wednesday night and returned Thursday night. This meant I missed an open water swim - which I REALLY wanted to do - but I had no choice. Ultimately, I missed a couple training sessions that week. Monday was a rest day, Tuesday night I swam 2000m in the pool (500m longer than the actual race distance), Wednesday I skipped training, Thursday I ran in Providence, and Friday I skipped my swimming session (I was WAY too tired and had to drive up to Madison that night).
Sidebar: Running in Providence is almost as bad as driving there! I asked the hotel for a jogging route, and they gave me a handy little card to use as a reference for a 5 mile run. What they didn't tell me was half of the streets they referenced changed names several times on the route, and many of the streets weren't marked with signs at all - at least not on the blocks I was supposed to turn! A run that should have taken me about 40 minutes ended up being 55 minutes! Oh well, I felt good that I was able to work in an early morning run while traveling.
My weekend in Madison (8/8&9) was GREAT! I went up there to train with my brother Brad (who has done a couple of Iron Man Triathlons), and it was well worth the trip! On Saturday, I ran about 6 miles in a steady rain, which actually felt very nice. I was treated with a bonus of celebrating my sister-in-law's 45th birthday, which included a 'birthday challenge' that consisted of a wide variety of fitness challenges in increments of 45. She started with a 22.5k run (half of a 45k - in a major thunderstorm no less), and pounded through weights, cardio exercises, rock climbing problems, and more. She really rocked! Her birthday challenge put my triathlon to shame!
Anyway... back to training... Sunday represented a real turning point for me. Early in the morning, Brad and his friend Stan took me to Lake Monona for some open water swim practice. Before we starting swimming, I asked to spend some time just floating around in the wetsuit. It had occurred to me that both times I swam in Lake Michigan I didn't have a chance to really test out the suit. We always jumped in and went right for the swim course. I never had the opportunity to 'just hang'.
So we did... and boy was I glad we did! While I knew that the suit was buoyant, I didn't realize just how buoyant it was! I pretty much floated without having to tread water at all! That more or less dispelled any fears I had, which meant I could focus my mental and physical energy on the task at hand - good swimming form and rhythm. We swam about 2000m in the lake, and while I still have a lot of room for improvement, I feel confident that I will do OK in the race. I now know that if I start getting panicky, or too tired, I can just stop... and I will float. Nice.
But that wasn't all. After swimming, and a light breakfast, we then moved on to the biking portion of the day. It turns out Madison has a phenomenal network of biking paths that skirt in and around the city, and we took full advantage of them. We probably covered about 20 miles, and I was able to practice my form using the 'tri bars'. It was a great workout, and I'm feeling more and more comfortable every time I ride. Doing a 'double-header' also made me feel better about the training sessions I skipped earlier in the week. The net result is I missed one session that week. Not bad considering I traveled.
Sunday afternoon, we headed back to Chicago, and I couldn't have been more pleased with the weekend. Thanks Brad! It was nice spending time with the family, too!
Last week included more travel, and I must admit that again I missed a couple sessions.
Monday was supposed to be a rest day, but I swam instead - knowing that I was going to miss a couple days later in the week. I followed the swim routine I missed the Friday before, which was challenging. I was really tired from an exhausting weekend... and it probably wasn't my best effort... but I did it. And that's what counts.
Tuesday and Wednesday were travel days and I was not able to work in a training session. Thursday I had fitness training, and planned on running afterwards. Unfortunately, Janelle (my trainer extraordinaire) did such a good job of kicking my ass that I was too jittery and queasy to run afterwards. After less than 3 minutes on the treadmill, I gave up. That's OK. I'm pretty sure I know how to run.
Friday night I still felt wiped out, and skipped yet another swim session. UGH! That means the net for the week was (-3). One could argue that it was (-2) if you count the strength training toward my workout regimen. Either way, I slipped some last week.
I did, however, have another very productive weekend. Saturday I went to team training, which included an '80/40' - 80 minutes on the bike and 40 minutes of running. It was a great workout, and it boosted my confidence somewhat. Between the swim / bike last weekend and the bike / run this weekend, I'm starting to feel like I'm in good enough shape to make it through this triathlon. Sunday I topped off the week by running about 7 miles from the house to the gym, and treated myself to a 90 minute hot stone massage when I got there. Yes, it was very soothing and sorely needed!
So that's how I spent the last three weeks. Today is a rest day, and I took advantage of it without remorse. Looking ahead... I need to be really serious about adhering to the program this week, as this is the last REAL week of training before I begin tapering for the race. I can't believe it's true, but the race is one week from Sunday! I don't know if I'm excited, scared, or both! Truthfully, I think it's both. At this point, I just want to get through this.
I'll try to post daily between now and the race. Thanks to all who are following the blog! I appreciate your support and encouragement!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
