Week 5: Last Huge Week in the rearview

Wow, I had to really power through this week to git 'er done!  Every day was a battle...it's tough to look at the week as a whole!  I would think I would just be tanked at this point, but I'm thirsty for more (I must be insane).  Saturday and Sunday capped it off---pretty much hitting it from sun up (or even before), till 2pm each day.  Sunday being Sept 11 helped...I pulled some strength from the meaning of the day to get through the weekend in general, and with 70.3 WC going on in Vegas, the workouts were "nothing" compared to what much of NYC was going through and has been going through since 2001.  That Memorial is amazing...what a way to pay tribute to those who were lost and to their families.

So we've got 25 days to the "Big Dance," but of course my attention right now is on Jenny, Sophia, and the "little guy" who should be showing up any day now...and wow, this is gonna be a roller coaster of a month!  Jenny has been doing great, but she's ready for him to leave his dormitory for sure.  She's been such trooper---pregnant through the summer, dealing with me (or a lack of me), taking great care and nurturing Sophia...Jenny, you are Supermom/wife!

With all of the training I have done this year, it was really really good to get through this week and feel the way I feel right now.   Last week could have really kicked my arse, but it honestly was one of the easier weeks.  The weather "turned" on friday, and our temps are now in the "reasonable" category (but still in the upper 90's)...part of me almost wishes it would stay hot to keep the "acclimatization" factor up, but I think a few good weeks of solid training in a bit cooler temps will help me focus better on quality workouts, and I'm sure I'll reap the benefits of the insane summer of training and heat.   Kenny is off to Kona on Thursday, so I am on my own from here on out---I guess it's time to bear down, focus, and commit to a race plan and look at every workout as a precursor to that plan.  Swims: I'll push the pace, limit the rest; Bikes:  solid W output, and stay committed to the effort, Runs:  work into the pace and suffer a bit to finish stronger and stronger every time....eat well, sleep as much as possible, and welcome our lil' guy into the world when he decides to come visit!!!

Mon Sep 05    Bike 48.0 mi 02:42:00 I made this a lot tougher than it should have been by not eating enough before...geez! Kept it EZ with chain tension. Otherwise feeling okay, but of course I've been in this "iron-drug" like state ...I'm ready for whatever you throw my way! Tue Sep 06    Swim 4150.0 yd 01:15:00 done    Bike 30.0 mi 01:30:00 trainer Wed Sep 07    Run 15.0 mi 01:56:00 tough run...tired from a long busy day. Reminded me of a run last year where I wanted to stop and just take a nap---legs felt good, just pooped out! Walked about 1.5 miles once I hit 15 miles....I was NOT running straight at that point, delirious! Feel good this morning...this weekend is gonna be a good test...need lots of rest in between days Thu Sep 08    Bike 30.0 mi 01:30:00 needed a decent warmup, then 75 minutes straight at 225...no issues    Run 3.9 mi 00:30:00 felt actually really good off the bike...still feeling the IM fog of course ;-) Fri Sep 09    Swim 4600.0 yd 01:20:00 done Sat Sep 10    Bike 123.0 mi 06:20:00 will send SRM...ride went great! Really feeling the hard work paying off...    Run 5.0 mi 00:37:18 Legs felt great off the bike, followed plan, able to put down some good effort...HAPPY! Good jog + a bit of walking after... Sun Sep 11    Swim 4500.0 yd 01:30:00 completed..no issues ;-) felt great throughout    Bike 35.0 mi 02:00:00 kept it EZ, very little effort at all.    Run 16.0 mi 02:00:00 felt ok, kept it steady, but wasn't chasing a neg. split on this one...ran without a fuel belt and suffered a bit from a little too long between aid...it was hotter out than I thought!

LOG Totals Type Distance Duration Avg Pace # Time in Zones Bike 266.0 mi 14:02 19.0 mph 5 Run 39.9 mi 05:03 07:36/mi 4 Swim 13250.0 yd 04:05 01:50/100yd 3 Total Duration: 23:10   12

Week 6 Done...tough one for sure.

Git er done...I find myself saying that more and more these days.  Things are getting a bit blurry, energy level is blah, days are running together, and all I seem to do is EAT, SLEEP, WORK, TRAIN (and not in that order)...I must be doing this right, as this is the feeling of successful IM training.  Sometimes I catch myself just zoning out---another good sign for someone who can't sit still, AT ALL.  I think we are finally getting a reprieve from the heat, and next week the temps look to be dipping below 100..I don't think there is anyone happier to see that!  Kenny and I again had some epic workouts this week...another 120 mile ride taking us all over town---Scottsdale, Care Free, New River, Lake Pleasant, Cave Creek, Rio Verde, Fountain Hills, Scottsdale...I'm tired just writing that!  That was our long Saturday ride.  I followed that up with a 6 miler that afternoon, then a 19 miler Sunday morning--THAT was tough to get out of bed for!

Other than me pointing out the suffering, it was a great week!  The swim double day was a first, and felt really good---I'm really happy with where my swim is and has been this year.  The bike is coming along better than I could ask for, and I have to thank Kenny for that on the long rides; he keeps the pressure on, and we stay consistent riding together, and we are even adding in "tests"...riding Shea Hill out of Fountain Hills after 100 miles in the big ring pushing 300+ watts the entire hill was an example, and puts a grin on your face when you accomplish something so trivial ;-)  I know I have Chris to thank (of course) for the genius plan he always writes, but Kenny is there to keep those long rides steady, consistent, and at the perfect effort.  The same goes for the run...Kenny and I have been on a terror on our run course, with runs of 15, 14, 16, and 19 in the past 2 weeks.  While the 19 was tough (this past saturdays run), we came out of it feeling just like we did on that Shea Hill interval, running the last mile solid right around 7:00 pace.  We are both feeling great, and honestly feel like we could ride 19-20 mph all day long as well as run a marathon pretty much with ease right under 8 min/mi pace, even with our tired, overtrained excuses for bodies (well, we are in excellent shape, but...no extra "gears" are present right now ;-)

I clear out the specifics of the workouts in the log entry below out of respect for Chris...this is the starting point for the week, and I ended up training just over 22 hours this week...and ready for the insanity to continue!

Aug 29 Mon  Bike 03:20:00 between this and the run, it's always nice to start your work week staying up until 9:30 getting your workouts in ;-)  Run 00:40:00 Aug 30 Tue  Swim 3000.0 01:00:00 Aug 31 Wed  Bike 01:30:00  Run 00:30:00 Sep 1 Thu  Swim 3800.0 yd 01:20:00  Swim 3600.0 yd 00:55:00 Sep 2 Fri  Bike 02:30:00 Sep 3 Sat  Bike 05:30:00 this is a "ride till you hit 4000 kJ" ride: ends up in the 6 hour range for me  Run 00:45:00 Sep 4 Sun  Run 02:15:00
	Type Distance Duration Bike 12:50 Run 04:10 Swim 03:15 Total Duration: 20:15

Week 7: Breakthrough!

Well, as my friend Leishia has told me..."trust the plan, the breakthrough will come, I promise."  Week 7 was full of ups and downs, but it ended with this becoming a reality.  The past what seems like months have been full of challenges I have lost on both the bike and the run...unable to finish rides, runs; bonks, vomiting, the shakes, night sweats, unable to really control my body temp,unable to produce ANY power, and walking versus running.   I've been patient (somewhat), but I have also had my "moments."  The ones where I wonder why I am doing this to myself, why I am taking myself away from my family daily to train for something that seems almost impossible.
This past wednesday was a perfect example---here's the day in a nutshell:  up at 5am, worked from 6:30 to 7:30 straight (patients/meetings at lunch, and after work), rushed home, visited with Jenny and Sophia for no more than 5 minutes (feeling horrible to run right back out the door...again---apologizing, and swallowing the grief that comes with it), then loaded my fuel belt while driving 2 miles to meet Kenny who had been waiting for me for 90 minutes, and eating a Clif Bar.  Then, running 2 hours until 10pm, eating as much as I could, showering, and jumping in bed at 10:45pm.  That's a 17h45m day with literally every minute accounted for----nothing more to say there other than the stress that accompanies it is overwhelming.

Friday was a big day as well, but for different reasons:  Blood Lactate Testing in Tucson...the graph is a comparison from my testing in April versus fridays.  Not what I wanted to see, but Chris sounded like this is what he expected, and things are going well according to his plan, so I am happy with that!  I am not dwelling on it, especially after this weekends workouts
Saturdays ride:  the toughest of the year...5h45m riding until I output 4000 kJ of power.  In a nutshell (again), this was my best ride of the year, even with the heat hitting 123 on the Powercontrol, and having to ride for 6h30m to reach the 4000.  We averaged 19.2mph while keeping the effort "mild"...in a word...AWESOME!  I got in over 125 miles, heat was an issue, but never crushed me, and I came out of this elated (and tired!)...my mind has done a 180 since the wednesday run and the previous failures that were bogging me down.  And with a killer 2 hour run on sunday, I am no longer thinking I am going to Kona "just to finish respectably," but to race, drop the hammer, and crush it (whatever that means, it's a good thing to be thinking).  The 12 hours of training over the weekend completely changed my mind about Kona and whether I am ready yet...I am!

After 125 miles...can you see the strain??!!

So onwards and upwards...there's no holding back.  I'm ready for any amount of training volume...39 days, 12 hours, and 34 minutes from RIGHT NOW to go.  How hard can it really get from here?  Next weeks log is a doozy---let's see if I say the same thing at this time, next week!

Quick note:  key things from this week in addition to above:  switched from a 175mm crank to a 170mm crank = game changer.  Started using Salt Tabs...life changing!

Last weeks workouts:

Date PLANNED Workout Description Mon Aug 22  Swim 3100.0 yd 01:15:00 Tue Aug 23  Bike 02:00:00  Run 01:00:00 Wed Aug 24  Run 02:00:00 day from hell, then run! Thu Aug 25  Rest Fri Aug 26  Bike 01:00:00  Swim 3500.0 yd 01:20:00 Sat Aug 27  Swim 2500.0 yd 00:45:00  Bike 05:45:00 4000kJ ride Sun Aug 28  Bike 01:30:00  Run 02:00:00
	Type Distance Duration Bike 10:15 Rest Run 05:00 Swim 9100.0 yd 03:20 Total Duration: 18:35

Week 8...Going till I fail...

Mountain Man Pics...

In the lead and happy about it!

I was a mess!

I've said this a few times before, but it is worth mentioning...going to failure is a natural part of my IM training.  Some people, including me, would call this "finding your limits,"  but sometimes you simply fail....the true limitation has been found.   Unfortunately, "Fail" in itself has a negative connotation---I got an "F" is what we all grew up with (no, I never got an F!).  It's one thing to train for an IM where the climate is mild/moderate, but training in Arizona during the summer has to be one of the toughest situations for IM I can think of---brutally hot, brutally dry, and it NEVER cools off enough to let your body repair properly.   My mind often thinks about the Badwater Ultramarathon and how it is not much different from what we are up against here.  You put your sunblock on, you go outside into a furnace, then someone switches on the heater/blowdryer (hot wind), riding or running from gas station to gas station, filling up with 40+ oz of beverage every hour.  Put me in a milder climate, I would love to go ride 5 hours at my target zone, without thinking of survival.  To say it another way:  this is unfair!  Yes, I will be ready for the heat (if it doesn't break me down completely before i get there!), but the solid effort that my competitors are able to get in at their swanky 70-90 degrees are making me feel like I am at a huge disadvantage.  It's not for the lack of effort on my part if, come race day, I am unable to "crush it!"

So, after all those excuses, I am also feeling pretty good about where we are right now.  The highlight of this week was the 2 Hour run on sunday---a nice steady, solid effort.  The speed will come (Kenny and I took it pretty EZ), but the joints feel strong, muscles recovered nicely, and a day later, I could go do it again.  It was a "smaller" week  (16+ hours) in comparison due to last weeks race, but, outside of finding "failure" on my saturday ride (literally--I could not ride any more.  I resorted to my 39 ring to get me home--on that flats pushing a max of 140W--felt like 300W!).   Friday really wiped me out with the ride and run...what you don't see below is the photo shoot for 3GO Magazine on friday that happened between the bike and run---110 degrees in a parking garage with no ventilation---almost passed out a few times, but the shots were worth it!  I saw a few pics on the camera display...I guess good photos come from extremely talented photographers (www.johnsegesta.com) AND their  suffering models ;-) I had plenty of other issues to catch up on and stress me out as well, so I'll take this week for what it's worth, and move forward to a big week to come---getting through this coming week will lift my spirits for sure (21+ hours, testing in Tucson, two runs of 2 hours, and a 5 hr 45 min ride saturday..).

Week 8 workouts below:

Mon Aug 15 no plan: rest day! Tue Aug 16  Swim 3600.0 yd 00:55:00 EZ swim week...first in a long time!  Bike 01:30:00 couldn't get this in as I had 2 meetings after work..I was lucky to get the swim in.. Wed Aug 17  Bike 01:30:00 Pain Cave session...tough!  I wish I could have spun the legs out yesterday.  Run 00:45:00 Wasted off the bike intervals, the run was decent Thu Aug 18  Swim 2750.0 00:55:00 Short swim, but solid efforts building through the workout made it tough Fri Aug 19  Bike 03:00:00 had some intervals in here..got a late start which made this a lot herder than it should have been  Run 00:45:00 Supposed to be a hard effort, and it was, but just at a slower pace!  Run to failure!! Sat Aug 20  Bike 05:00:00 Rode till failure...looks so simple on paper, but throw in the curveballs of life, and things get tough fast! Sun Aug 21  Run 02:00:00 aerobic - long run
	Type Distance Duration Bike 11:00 Run 03:30 Swim 3600.0 yd 01:50 Total Duration: 16:20

Catching Up...Week 9 to Kona

Mountain Man Bike

Finishing Up at Mountain Man

With the race on Sunday, I'm catching up here on last weeks workouts...being a taper week, I only put in 11 hours including the race---the next two weeks see an abrupt change to hardcore IM training, with 16+ hours this week, and 21+ hours next week.  The long runs are coming--2 hours this sunday, and 2 hours next wednesday...BRING IT ON!  Getting Mountain Man out of the way, the excitement is starting to build, and of course there are not enough hours in the day to live.  I miss my Sophia as I have barely seen her this week between 3 after work meetings and training till at least 9:30 every night---I don't see that changing over the next handful of weeks, so I am going to cherish every moment I get with Jenny and Sophia, not to mention Jenny is due September 21, and I leave for Kona on September 29--daunting even if it was just for a vacation sitting on the beach drinking Mai Tai's.  Week 9, other than the race, was insignificant--although the taper was again perfect for this race (thanks Chris!!).  I've thought a lot about Mountain Man's run performance, and I have come to realize that my run is just not there yet...the nutrition was a distraction from what was really the issue, honestly.  Chris is in the middle of 4 days straight riding 110 miles/day, so I haven't gotten his feedback yet...Leishia's ("the analyzer") feedback tells me I am progressing well--thanks Leishia!  With the run work coming up, we are working my weakness (still can't believe my run is the weakness!), so I excited to feel the progress in that over the next 2 weeks.  It was the 2 hour runs last year that really created a solid run base for IMAZ; adding the back to back long days on the bike coming as well, and I am starting to "see the light" on having a solid day in Kona---the doubt is slowly leaving the office ;-)

Mon Aug 08	Bike 01:30:00 some Z3 intervals in this one
Tue Aug 09	Run 1:00:00 track workout: intervals
Wed Aug 10	Swim 00:45:00 very cool race week workout...ends with SPEED!  Bike 00:45:00 EZ
Thu Aug 11	Rest
Fri Aug 12	Bike 01:45:00 woke the legs up with some solid efforts
Sat Aug 13	Run 00:20:00 Flagstaff run:  High HR up there!
Sun Aug 14	Swim 1.2 mi 00:30:00  Run 13.1 mi 01:40:00  Bike 56.0 mi 2:30:00