Ironman training week 8

A bit of a recovery week this week, with lighter volume on the bike. Why is it that recovery weeks end up feeling weirdly exhausting?

Swim: 6950m
Bike: 120.79 km (4:15)
Run: 48.46km

Monday: 11k run; weights

Bye snow! Won't miss you at all!

Got started on increasing the distance on one of my weekday runs, since Monday was a holiday and all. Solid and unspectacular, really. Also this meant I had no rest day this week, which probably helps explain the whole weirdly exhausting thing! I am SMRT.

Tuesday: TR - Haku

In which I finally remember to put the trainer in slope mode before each sprint and manage to get the power targets about right.

Short VO2s on the trainer in the evening. Farewell to 20 second maximum efforts, at least for now, as the next stage of the training plan brings in longer VO2 intervals. It's just a different kind of suffering (but better because I don't have to fuss around with trainer modes on the longer ones!).

Wednesday: 2500m swim; 9k lunch run; weights

Note to self: find somewhere else to take pictures when you run on the powerline trail. Also those tights may be the most comfortable thing in existence, but they sure ain't flattering.

Nothing fancy, just the usual Wednesday stuff.

Thursday: TR - slide mountain

who has shoulders? THIS GIRL!

12 minute sweet spot intervals. Felt pretty good, especially after skipping out on both swimming and running that day. Just a busy week at work that left me pretty tired.

Friday: 2400m swim; TR - Table Rock

Celebrating that that work week was about over

Forced myself out of bed to swim and then did the evening sweet spot intervals. Between work and staying up too late watching the Olympics, I was really dragging this whole week.

Saturday: TR - Cumberland; 8k brick run; weights

This is where things really caught up to me. I made it through the long tempo ride on the trainer, but my heart rate didn't lie - way higher than usual on this ride, and it was a struggle. The run felt pretty decent after (probably because of the weather being so nice!) but it's a good thing the Olympics are now over because I clearly need more sleep!

Didn't take any pictures in the morning, but did have penne carbonara for dinner, so feast your eyes on that deliciousness. I assume, based on the way it tasted, that it consisted of about 90% garlic. So good.

Sunday: 20k long run; 2050m swim

Saving the best for last? Solid run, although I was underdressed for the first half, then the sun came out, the temperature shot up, and I was overdressed for the last few km. But it was a nice easy paced run and watching the waves/surfers on Lake Ontario kept my mind occupied.

Then I had a weirdly fantastic feeling swim. I was really relaxed and taking it easy but somehow swimming fast (for me). Maybe it was being in a different lane than usual at the pool, but it really felt amazingly good. Here's hoping I can recapture that relaxed/efficient stroke again this week!

Next up:

On to things getting intense again on the bike, and a little half marathon thing on Sunday. I'm treating it as a training day, since I'll be doing a 3 hour block on the bike trainer on Saturday, so seeing what kind of a run I can do Sunday after that is a nice little training test. Plus, opportunity for sweet instagram posts with my running friends, which is really the only reason to do a race.