Brick in the Wall
Monday, July 23, 2007
The last two weeks are not what anyone would likely call smooth training.
There were workouts cut short because I had to wait 30 minutes to get a swim lane and/or because some kiddie tossed his/her cookies in the pool and everyone had to evacuate for an hour (which conveniently ran right up against closing time) so staff could clean and disinfect. There was too much celebrating of my own birthday on my part. There was work craziness. And there were impromptu naps, where a quick "I'll just close my eyes for a few minutes" turned into an hour. I had decided that all of this would be okay, because I had a grrrrr-eat weekend workout planned: a 50-miler for the Trek Bike for Kids on Saturday, followed by the Spirit of Racine 1/2 Iron on Sunday.
But, like the rest of the previous two weeks, that plan was hijacked when I waited too long to register for Racine. I was holding off in hopes that I'd be cleared by my PT to do the entire race, and not just the Aquabike. In the meantime, both closed.
So there I was without a planned swim start in a packed field, with half of my weekend workout missing, and with Ironman only seven weeks off. And then I did what Ironman teaches you to do: improvise.
I started by accepting the situation and acknowledging that I was partially relieved. A long- standing commitment on Saturday night would've required that I do the Saturday ride, then drive to Racine to check my bike in, then drive back to Madison to attend my Saturday-night festivities, and then drive back to Racine either that night or later that night -- at like 3:30 in the morning -- all to only do a portion of the 1/2 Ironman, as I hadn't been cleared to do the run. A little crazy, even by my standards of late.
Instead, I devised the following plan:
First, I will do this 2.4 mile open water swim on the IM-Moo course (or thereabouts) in lieu of a 1/2 Ironman (or two), since that's really what I was gunning for in doing a half: getting a good swim start in, seeing how it would feel, etc.
Second, and more immediate, I decided to turn my Saturday 50-mile ride into a double-brick workout: bike, then run 40 minutes off the bike, then another 1.5-2 hour bike, then another 40 minutes off.
This went fantastically well. The ride was really enjoyable, incredibly well-run, and it was great to do 50 miles where I a) did not have to chart out the course and check directions on my own, and b) could enjoy some change in scenery (well, there were still a lot of cows and trees, but at least I couldn't tell you what was coming up around the bend down to the quarter mile). The terrain was challenging, and I pushed the pace (for me) so that I ended up finishing in 3:06 and averaging 15.8 mph.
I finished the ride with slightly tired legs, changed into running shoes, grabbed my garmin and ipod, and set off. And except for overheating a bit (happens often to me -- I just don't sweat enough), it felt great: good rhythm, good speed (about 9:15 minute miles), and most importantly, no hip pain. Hurray!
After an hour stop-off to fuel up at the amazing after-party for the ride (burritos from Qudoba, beer from the Great Dane, burgers from Fudruckers, ice cream from Culvers, plus water, oranges, cookies, soda, and you name it from the race -- although I didn't eat ALL of this), it was back home to put my bike on the trainer and continue the brick.
Now, I know it was a beautiful day out and I should've just ridden outside, but I didn't want to. I didn't want to do Seminole Highway to Whalen Road for the third time that week, I didn't want to figure out a new and interesting route, and I really didn't want to worry about water and Gatorade fill-ups. So, I got in a solid hour and fifteen minutes back on the bike, and then another solid four mile run in immediately after.
This, my friends, was all preceded on Friday by a two-mile swim (straight laps), and followed on Sunday morning by another mile swim (main set of 10x100 -- 25 easy, 25 build, 25 easy, 25 hard).
All in all, I felt good about the training I got in. Although not necessarily lightning-fast, I feel strong and, with each passing day, increasingly confident. If I needed to, I think I could manage a solid race-day performance tomorrow.
Thankfully, though, I don't have to. I still have four super-intense, 20 to 25+ hour training weeks to get through before I start to taper. I still have an open water swim, the Dairyland Dare (which I'm turning into a brick workout with an hour run off the bike), and I also have time to work out a written race day plan, which is in the works and I'll post soon.
I'm not necessarily refreshed. But I'm looking at this next four weeks not in context of a year's worth of training, but in isolation. Tomorrow is the first day of training for the next month. That's all I have. Every day counts now, and I just have to focus on the day ahead. Like Pam Reed said, when signing her book for me back in May, "Just keep putting one foot in front of the other."
One arm, then the next. One pedal stroke, then the next. One foot in front of the next. Four weeks. The countdown is on.
Posted by Erin 7:37 AM
Game on!! I can't believe it's so close!! Watchout IM MOO-here comes Erin!!!
Kelly