It's been a little bit since I posted last, but not that I haven't thought about posting at least! There is just not enough time in the day or week sometimes to organize my mind and write something, anything! Even as I write this I am wondering what will come out on my blog...I guess it's the story of life sometime!
So on with the show...I am wrapping up my training for the race this week...the day is almost here! Lately I've had a bit of struggle keeping focused, and I knew this would happen. I've put my time in on all of the disciplines, I worked on my nutrition plan, finalized my gear, and have the feeling that so many people have told me---that the race is anticlimactic. When it's over, IT is over...the heavy training, the 5000 calories a day diet (hopefully I can cut back to 3000/day??), the anticipation...the list goes on.
While I am going with the flow, I am in what I call "anti-peak mode" which means trying not to feel to fast, too rested, and too excited about race day. If I'm fast, rested, and excited today, I won't be as fast, rested, and excited in 2 weeks---I just can't hold that level of "good" for that long. The good news is Chris has been helping me "stay down"...while I am in "taper" right now (the bike rides are 4 hours instead of 6)---the intensity is up, riding at higher heart rates and bigger gears.
The run on the other hand is getting worked---the past 3 weeks I've had at least two 2 hour runs a week. The highlight of those has been every one of them actually...my only 2 hour 30 minute run was 20 miles (I'll take that any day), and yesterday I completed 16 miles in under 2 hours; zone 2 heart rate, comfortable pace...averaging 7:26min/mi...the run is ready.
The swim has been uneventful, other than a new wetsuit I put into play this past saturday, and I LOVE it! Chris is involved with Sailfish wetsuits, so he sent me one. I decided to jump into Tempe Town Lake (yes it is full, yes the water feels fresh and clean, and yes to everything else good about the lake....it is the perfect Ironman swim venue), the event was part of the DCB Open Water Swim Series (I completed in one back in September just to get a feel for 4000m up at Saguaro Lake). I approached this 4000 meter race more as a workout than anything else (I had a 3 hour ride after)...my goal was to find my pace (did that), swim straight (I think I did), draft (no drafting today...no one swam straight enough!), and get out of the water feeling good and not winded (did that!). My time was 1:02, so I was happy, but of course now my goal for the IM swim is sub 1 hour (the IM swim is 3800m)...the thing I can't control is the other 2400+ people on the swim course at the same time trying to not let me swim my race as I plan...I have a secret plan for that, but it's a SECRET!! This swim was also a 4 lap 1000m course, so I had to weave through traffic for the second 2 laps, so that was good prep for IM AZ!
So that's it for now...I'm just cruising along keeping the excitement low. I'm feeling good about all of the disciplines! At this point I'm nervous about a few things, all of which I can't control: the swim craziness (the first 400-500 meters will be tough!), the wind on the bike (but everyone has to deal with it), bad luck on the bike (mechanicals, flats), nutrition ( I can control it and will have a plan, but will my stomach agree?? First Endurance says it will!), and how will I feel when I hit the wall on the marathon ( mile 13? mile 20? or worse, mile 10? mile 1??)...I think I will be able to handle the pain--I know it will be present all day long! For those of you that will be there, if I'm not saying much, it is the pain that I am fighting---pain does not like it when you smile, and a lot of pain makes it impossible to smile, let along high five, but I'll do my best and will give plenty of hugs when it is over ;-}
Cheers!
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