Ironman training week 10

Less than 23 weeks to race day now, which somehow doesn't seem like that big a number, even though there's snow on the ground this morning and it's feeling very wintry outside.

But nothing to cure a little training panic like having a great week!

Swim: 7600m
Bike: 161km (5:20)
Run: 48km

Monday: rest

I was mostly worried, after the Chilly, that by running hard I'd trigger a sciatica flare. But, other than being pretty tired and a little sore, no real after effects from the race. Whew!

Tuesday: Swim 2500; TR Mills

Motivation was low but I managed a decent swim. I did not, however, run at lunch because there was just enough DOMS from the race to make me think I'd better save my energy for the VO2 max workout on the bike in the evening.

Mills was an experience. The first few rounds were really, really hard and I was afraid I was going to have to bail out on the whole thing (my quads were very very unhappy), but after about the 3rd set my muscles shut up (I think the high cadence aspect maybe helped flush things out? even if science says that's not how that really works...) and I powered through the whole set successfully.

A wee bit gross at the end of that one, especially since I couldn't find a clean hairband. Didn't realize how much I need those until I didn't have one. So sweaty!

VO2 is hard stuff.

Wednesday: 11.5k run; weights

Runner in the dark or serial killer? Great I just freaked myself out.

Early morning 11k to work on the habit of the longer midweek run. Getting there.

Weights in the evening. Have to deload and get my squat depth back (gah) but I'm feeling like the weightlifting is helping me. I didn't have nearly as much muscle fatigue late in the race at the Chilly that I would normally have expected, which may be from the weight training.


Thursday: Swim 2450m; 9k lunch run; TR Looking Glass

Kick kick kick splash splash splash

Big day. Swimming felt like the usual, although I've been working on kicking without a board and trying to roll to breathe feels more like drowning, but I'm getting there.

Then a nice lunch run with Christina. A little faster than I should have given I was still in race recovery mode, but it may have helped to stretch out the legs a bit. Or something like that.

Finally, an 80 minute tempo workout on the trainer. Usual let's build more endurance nonsense. Getting caught up on Dr. Who, so I have that going for me.

Friday: TR Tray Mountain

Could maybe have snuck in a 5th run here, but didn't bother. Lazy day with just a 90 minute sweet spot workout. (laziness is relative when it comes to Ironman training...)

Saturday: 2650m swim; TR Phoenix + 6k brick run

Family stuff happening so I snuck out for a swim and did the brick workout a little later in the morning. Phoenix is always a bit intimidating since it's a long slog at a fairly continuous power with no rest breaks, and motivation to then go run after can be low, but I finished it all off happy, which is really all I ask.

Sunday: 21k long run; weights

Any time I can time my long run to match the sunrise when the forecast is for clear skies, I end up in a really happy joyful place. Yeah, the runs end up with a bit of stop time from all the picture taking, but this stuff is just really good for me mentally:

There's just something about being outside while the world is waking up that makes me happy. And it makes the long run seem to take less time somehow.

Tough week on the bike ahead (3:30 long ride! Yikes!) before a recovery week next week. Fingers crossed I can fit everything in and stay sane...