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View albumNothing in Moderation :)
August 14
August 13
- 1h 00m
- 2800.00 meters
- 02m 08s /100 meters
i cut this a few yards short in the interest of time. i had some tummy trouble early on, too. i finished up fine, though. adding some speed back into the equation.
“We are beginning our final descent and will be on the ground shortly, so the captain has turned on the ‘fasten seatbelt’ sign. Please return your seat-backs and tray-tables to their upright and locked positions. We know you do have a choice in how you push the limits of what your body and mind can do, and we thank you for choosing Ironman. Also, thank you for not tampering with or disabling any flight attendants.”
If Ironman is a journey, that is the point I am at. Getting started is easy. The ‘plane’ WANTS to fly. Once you’re up and going, the adventure has a momentum all its own. There is turbulence from time to time in the form of oversleeping, overtraining, and overeating (is there such a thing?). Since lift-off on January 1st, the vast majority of the miles have already been covered. But now it’s crunch time. Training volume, like the altitude of a jet near its destination, is going to drop quickly. That is the signal that the tricky part is still to come, though.
Landing is surely part of it. It takes expert skill to carefully put such a finely tuned machine on the ground perfectly. And you only get one try!! Talk about pressure. Let’s just say that “landing” will get me to the starting line in Louisville in one piece. Hopefully one very healthy, peppy, prepared, and excited piece.But what comes after that will be where the rubber truly meets the road, so to speak. It will be the time to put up or shut up. Once you land on the jetway, still nobody knows what’s going to happen next. Will my gate assignment change? Will there be delays? How will I handle that? Most importantly, will I be able to successfully retrieve my luggage? Bear with me as the luggage metaphor takes shape!
Everything in my life that I need to survive must be waiting for me as I make my way through the chaotic terminal that is Ironman. It is not my moisture-wicking shirts, PowerBars, or electric razor that I need. But rather, it is my family and friends, coaches and mentors, training partners and rivals. They have been along for the ride of a lifetime whether they know it or not, supporting me, carrying that which I could not. Without them the entire trip, especially the finish line, is not so sweet. What good is accomplishment without somebody to share it with?
So, as I get close to “touching down,” I am trying to put into perspective all of the work that has been done so far, and all the sacrifices that were made to make it possible, as it relates to the big race day so that I don’t lose sight of anything.“Cross-check and all-call. Flight attendants, prepare for landing.”
:)
August 12
- 1h 05m
- 8.00 miles
- 08m 07s /Mi
w/u - 15' easy
main set - 4x8:00 of 1:15 tempo/0:45 easier with 2' rest in between sets.
c/d - remainder of time
kept the tempo pieces in the low-to-mid 6's, and backed off to a comfortable pace otherwise. muscularly, i'm fine. in fact, pretty pleased with the pace considering the big Sunday i had. but my knee is such a bitch. i stopped at a water fountain about 10 minutes from my car. i was almost reduced to tears as the pain of starting to run again was just too much. i walk/limp/hobbled back to the car, none too happy about it.
i'm doing the ice routine right now, about to pop some extra strength tylenol. so it goes...
August 11
- 1h 30m
- 3900.00 meters
- 02m 18s /100 meters
that was a doozy! i felt so heavy and sluggish. i was clocking some painfully slow 2:00+/100 splits.
stick a fork in me this morning. i am DONE. :)
August 10
- 50m
- 2700.00 meters
- 01m 51s /100 meters
very nice swim. not another soul on the lake, save for a few fishermen. by circling the lake, i got to practice with the sun on my left, right, in front, and behind me.
- 5h 20m
- 99.00 miles
- 18.56 Mi/hr
yeah yeah, i know i could have went back and forth in front of the parking lot to get to 100, but that ain't going to make or break me.
i warmed up for an hour, then did a 45, 30, 15 piece in z3. spent the rest of the ride in z1-z2. it was tough out there in parts. i got a little loopy once or twice. tore up my legs pretty good out there. it was not my strongest feeling ride. it was one of those rides where occasionally you feel like your breaks must be rubbing on the wheel. about halfway through, i negotiated with myself for 5 chocolate-covered-peanutbutter-covered-malt-balls (from TJ's) when i got home. around mile 85, i was talking to myself about my nutrition/hydration with a French accent. the ENTIRE ride, i had 867-5309 in my head. "Jenny I've got your number." again, and again, and again. THAT was painful. i could have used more gatorade, too. i can't wait to have a constant supply of cold fuel on the IM course.
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133
- 40m 40s
- 5.30 miles
- 07m 40s /Mi
wow that was hard. innsbrook is not a friendly running resort. sure, people are nice. but the terrain isn't! it was very difficult to get into a groove with all the hills. the worst part, though, was that for the second crucial time, my Garmin HRM was screwy. that was frustrating. overall, a solid run. i think by tomorrow, i'll be pretty happy with this workout. but at times, i wasn't sure if the whole thing was supposed to be a confidence-builder, or a death-trap tri workout.
August 9
- 50m
- -----
- -----
easy spin on the trainer. didn't even put the HRM on.
August 8
i enjoyed another afternoon of golf today. what a gorgeous day. too bad golf is so hard. HIMs are easier than 18 holes! naturally, when i see a course, i think, "Wow, that would make an amazing place to stage a cross country race." that's just the way it is now!
i have another easy day tomorrow before a BIG training tri on Sunday. i can't wait! have a great weekend, y'all.
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out to grants trail to get some intervals done.
then over to the pool for "running." not a terribly rewarding brick, like it could have been if i had run on the street. but this is what i have to do to get my knee feeling good.