I better write a little about last week before this week is over…
I survived my first full week of an Ironman focused build however it came with its challenges. First, work was really busy, I had a potential client in town & a big presentation to give. The weather was beautiful/hot, temps in Seattle got in the mid 80’s. A holiday weekend that thankfully provided three days off in a row as well as a near miss with a car that turned into a hit & run accident. (I wasn’t the driver…I was the target)
Workout wise the volume & intensity was tough. Wednesday I had my first double run day, one long-ish run with intervals followed up with a shorter low intensity run. For the second run I did 20 minutes bare foot & found it surprisingly comfortable. I did it just to mix things up but there is some solid research that shows a little time running barefoot can be beneficial in building foot muscles & improving form.
Saturday morning I got a great open water swim in, I wish I could have saved it for a race rather than wasting it during training. (I seem to not have a ton of good swims in me, their really hit & miss)
Sunday was my long bike day, 4:30 then a :20 transition run. The first hour on the bike was pretty brutal, I didn’t feel like I had much in the tank & the long week was catching up with me. Once I hit two hours there were physical & mental improvements. A little past the half way mark I stopped to pick up a cold drink & a Snickers, I’ve got to say the Snickers had the needed sugar & calorie boost I needed. I made it home just two minutes shy of 4:30 & just over 80 miles. The run that followed the bike hurt but that wasn’t unexpected.
The majority of my training is done solo, there’s plenty of time to think to yourself while plugging through the miles. This weeks common theme was just how ridicules this amount of training is. Two workouts a day & around 20 hours a week is a little nuts but believe it or not I’m enjoying it. Here are a random collection of non-fitness byproducts that this level of training produce:
- More workouts start clothes that already stink than don’t
- I can blow snot rockets with deadly accuracy
- Drinking from a bike bottle feels more natural than a glass
- I have to shave odd growths off my feet
- There always seem to be a wet suit hanging in the shower
This is a list that I’m sure will continue to grow over the summer…
If your on twitter be sure to go to http://livestrongaction.org/avatar and get a livestrong wristband for your photo. Lance Armstrong is racing the tour again & raising money/awareness for cancer research.
50 days till Ironman Canada, my bike & run are feeling great, just hoping my swim starts coming around.
I miss having you around.