Bike

• 3h 17m 31s
• 56.21 miles
• 17.07 Mi/hr

Effort: Very Easy
Weather: 51/60 Wind: 5/8
This is my last long ride before my HIM. I hope to be able to capitalize on all the miles I have been riding recently next week and Sept. 9.
This ride was very easy. Almost too easy I think. I would like to have had something a little bit harder but since riding with PR Multsport I have been sticking to their method of training. I really feel like this ride was more about the the 2 that are going to Louisville for their Ironman race next weekend. I was looking for another slightly harder ride and kind of train through the first HIM as a training race.

Run

• 28m 04s
• 3.44 miles
• 08m 09s /Mi

Effort: Easy
Weather: 70/70 Wind: Calm/4
This run was a shorter than I have been doing with the group so far and I would like to have gotten a little bit longer here. I am planning on hitting my normal weekly mileage before dropping into a modified taper. The plan has been and remains to start a taper on Wednesday and drop volume on the same day. Up to Wednesday I plan on maintaining the same volume with a drop in intensity beginning tomorrow.

• Health data: Hours slept: 7

Run

• 2h 02m 37s
• 15.10 miles
• 08m 07s /Mi

Effort: Easy/Mod
Weather: 65/67 Wind: 4/10
This is my last long run before the Great Buckeye Challenge 70.3 on 26 August. I was considering giving this run another 2 miles at race pace as I have been doing for the past several long runs but I had some weird pain in the right side of my upper chest. I opted out of the extra work just in case there was anything weird going on. I had already done some real speed work on Wednesday night with a couple of miles at 6:46 on a 4 mile run, that's probably enough speed work right now.
I also had an elevated HR for the last few miles of today's run. I would attribute this to the poor nutrition over the past couple of days and lack of hydration after last night's sweatfest on the trainer. Today will be a day over re-hydration to get myself back to where I should be and then try to stay well hydrated through the week next week leading up to Buck Creek.

Swim

• 1h 08m 13s
• 3937.01 yards
• 01m 43s /100 yards

*Avalon*
Effort: Mod/Hard
More longer sets to get ready for the race in a week. I'll plan another long set WO with another MS of 500's or possibly 1000's early next week.
This WO was much better planned and executed except for the last rep of the MS. I ran very close to the same pace for the 1st and 2nd reps but the 3rd was well off the target. I missed the time by 9 seconds on the third rep while the first 2 were 2 seconds apart. I was able to maintain a much more even pace for the entire WO too. I tried to focus more on this after the past couple being more sporadic.
2x250 WU
2x250 Pull w/paddles & buoy
3x500 on 9:00 (8:07, 8:09 & 8:18)
6x50 on :60 (:42-:47)
2x200 Pull w/paddles & buoy
2x200 CD

• Health data: Hours slept: 9

Bike

• 1h 18m
• 24.85 miles
• 19.12 Mi/hr

Effort: Hard
Weather: 71/74
There was a threat of storms before I left for this ride and I thought it best not to take a chance with riding on the road. I checked the radar several times and it looked like I would be alright but I opted for the trainer instead. Of course it never even rained and definitely didn't storm so it was all for not. It didn't bother me too much because the trainer allows a very focused training event.
I was sweating profusely and my bandana was totally saturated before the end of the first interval. Placing the trainer on the patio under the porch seemed like a good idea because there was a little air movement, just not enough to keep me cool.
WU: 10'
5x:30 @ 90% (w/:30)
MS: 4x10' @90%-95% (w/2')
CD: 10'

• Health data: Hours slept: 6

Swim

• 1h 09m 46s
• 4155.73 yards
• 01m 40s /100 yards

*Avalon*
Effort: Easy
Tonight's swim was to easy for what I was looking for. My plan was to get a couple of more long swim sets in before my first HIM. I am not sure if that is what I should do or not to get the best work before these long races.
The MS was a little too easy and the rest of the WO followed after that. This wasn't necessarily what I feel like I needed to do but I guess that's what happened. I really didn't have a big target to hit after the MS anyway but I would like to have seen something in the neighborhood of 1:35 for the remaining sets.
2x250 WU
2x250 Pull w/paddles and buoy
2000 @ 34:00 (too easy)
2x200 Pull w/paddles and buoy
2x200 CD

Run

• 31m 12s
• 4.26 miles
• 07m 19s /Mi

Effort: Hard
Weather: 80/80 Wind: 2/5
This run was supposed to be 7 miles but time wasn't there to do it. So I adapted a new plan to try to get another run in tomorrow along with my planned bike.
After the reduction in mileage tonight I decided that a couple of miles at tempo were in order. I haven't done any tempo work for a long time because of the heat and I hope it doesn't hurt my HIM's over the next month. I ended up running very close miles at my tempo pace; only 1 second apart. This was about as close as I have run miles at this pace for a very long time. The pace was fairly hard but still at a comfortably hard pace.
WU: 1'
MS: 2' 6:45-6:50 (@ 6:46 & 6:47)
1.25 CD

• Health data: Hours slept: 7

Bike

• 1h 11m 31s
• 25.05 miles
• 21.01 Mi/hr

Effort: Hard
Weather: 74/74 Wind: 4/10
Tonight's ride had a harder effort than last night and it will be the hardest effort until after my HIM's over the next month. After tonight I will have a shorter hard efforts and then beginning next week I'll keep the mileage the volume high through Wednesday but keep the intensity low.
I was unable to keep my HR as high as I was targeting for the last could of intensity reps. I was just happened to have the reps in sections of my ride that have gradual or steeper descents and this played against my efforts. Either way I was able to stay above 95% MLSS but I would like to have been closer to 100%.
WU: 7'
MS: 5x1' w/1'
3' @ 95%-90%
CD: 3'

• Health data: Hours slept: 7

Bike

• 1h 32m 45s
• 32.17 miles
• 20.81 Mi/hr

Effort: Hard
Weather: 73/73 Wind: 5/8
I was planning a swim and a ride tonight but we had the garage refrigerator delivered and there was no time to get both of them in tonight.
The ride was pretty good but the first few miles were a bit chilly this evening. I was a little surprised that the temperature was as warm as it was and yet it felt so cool.
WU: 6'
MS: 4x4' w/1' @92%-95%
CD: 5'

• Health data: Hours slept: 7

Run

• 57m 43s
• 7.31 miles
• 07m 54s /Mi

Effort: Easy
Weather: 64/64 Wind: 8/8
I did not have a good start to this run! The first 2 miles were really difficult mentally and I was considering cutting the run off at 5 miles. I feel certain it is the compound result of the 2 previous days of solid training combined with about 6 hours sleep each night. This morning when I woke up, at a normal time, I felt like I needed more sleep but I couldn't get back to sleep after 15 minutes. I got up and slunk around for a while and then went out. Rest is greatly needed and I'll plan on a nap this afternoon.
After the first 2 miles things got really good. I began to feel much more fresh and capable of running all 7 miles. I even thought about running a couple of miles at HIM race pace but I thought the better of it sine I'm at 29 miles (including this run) for the past 3 days. I felt no need to risk an injury this close to my "A" races.

• Health data: Hours slept: 6