We’re less than 70 days away from Ironman Mont-Tremblant. This is the time of year where training on the weekend really matters. The goal is to make it to race day with no regrets. Have I done the best I could to get here? You also can’t let it go overboard and consume you. It’s a constant battle between making sure you’re doing enough and also not going overboard. You have to put yourself in a bubble the last two months prior to an Ironman. Any injury during this time can be a deal breaker.
Photo by: The Puzzler
We’re getting into some serious mileage on the weekends now. The process is hot and draining. Sometimes the direction is not all that clear. Trust the process. Trust your gut and your instincts. This will come together.
Friday:
Swim 70 minutes. This was a continuous swim. The good thing is that I didn’t have to count laps, sets, or anything like that, but the hard part is the continuous swim effort. Don’t stop after 15 minutes to catch you breath or readjust your goggles longer than you really need to. No hanging on the side of the pool at the 30 minute mark…just keep swimming. That’s exactly how it will be on race day. You will be out in the deep with nothing to hold on to, so it’s time to get comfortable with the discomfort. Adjusting your goggles can be done while floating down the pool. So I swam until the clock said 70 minutes. This was actually a nice relaxing way to go into a Friday evening. Total swim: 4125 yards.
Photo by: Elsie esq
Saturday:
Plan was to run 17 miles at the high end of zone 2 (140-145bpm). We like to run at Umstead Park because there are endless trails, hills, and no concrete. Plus, that’s where the cool runners run. It’s June…it’s hot…and it’s only going to get hotter through August. I really suffer in the heat and humidity. I always have and likely always will(unless I figure out a way around it). Suck it up. There will be lots of folks racing IMMT that are training in places hotter than N.C. in the summer. I did really well maintaining (140-145bpm) through nearly 10 miles. I was able to hold under 9:30 pace, which is ok for a long run in June. Then things started to get tough. My pace started to slip back to 10 min pace, and my average HR for the last 7 miles was 153bmp. It’s hillier on the way back in and the heat/humity was getting warmer as it approached midday. I finally reached the last mile, which is straight uphill for 1 mile. Every single long run ends this way. It doesn’t matter if its 10 miles or 17 miles, the last mile always is tough. By this point in the run, my HR is at 160bpm. DO NOT WALK. NO MATTER HOW BAD IT HURTS, YOU WILL NOT WALK THIS HILL. I had to say this a couple times out loud as I was in a rough situation. In the end, Total Run: 17:04 miles.
Photo by derekskey
Sunday:
Bike 100 miles, in aerobic zone 2 (120-134). Usually, I interpret this to mean 130-134bpm. No matter how you slice it, 100 miles is a long way! Lots of fluid and calories are needed, or it will not go well. Lately, we’ve been doing the Cisco Routing Loop, as there is virtually no vehicle traffic on the weekends, and you can stash a cooler full of ice cold water and fruit in the car. When I’m running low on fluid, I can just pull into the parking lot real quick and get everything that I need. This week I packed a cooler full of ice water, oranges, apples, and EFS Liquid shots. My mini goal was to hold 19mph for the duration. I take the first 15 minutes easy on most rides, so this leaves me playing catch-up for the rest of the ride, but that’s ok. I reached the 60 mile mark at 3:09:00, so I was at about 18.9mph avg. Only 40 miles to go. I’ve also been trying to push that last 10 miles of all my long rides. I figure that since I have a rest day on Monday, I might as well take it to the edge on the last workout of a long week. Leave nothing in the tank. So from miles 90-100 I pushed the pace and my HR. I averaged 20mph and 145bpm for the last 10 miles. Total Bike: 102.28 miles without having to put my foot down once for traffic…Beauty!!! My legs are sufficiently toasted and ready for a recovery week.
How is everyone else’s training going? What mind games do you play during your long workouts to keep you focused?
