IMLOU

So Ironman Louisville will probably be sold out by the end of the day today, which makes me so happy that I signed up when I did. My goal was to do one before 40, and 2015 is the last year to do that. I also wanted to do it in my hometown for a few reasons.... 1) The support of my friends, family and ESPECIALLY the Louisville Landsharks Tri Club who have been nothing less than encouraging over the past 6 years. 2) The finish line is apparently one of the best for IM races and 3) I absolutely LOVE the city of Louisville and getting to achieve this goal in my favorite town just tops it off. My base building continues to go well, and I've now gotten to the point that I can't seem to go more than one day without working out. I've had an extremely stressful last few weeks including a dog that just can't seem to get well, the ending of a romantic relationship, and being super-busy either seeing clients or doing other kinds of work in the practice, have made the motivation to get out and get my butt moving a bit difficult. But... After that 8-miler Saturday followed by Sunday's easy thirty minute spin and a break on Monday, I was jonesing to get my sweat on last night so out came another half-hour spin on the tri bike. I'll be getting back in the water on Friday, despite my previous thoughts on putting that off until I get some coaching in. I was encouraged by my unofficial training buddy Rennay, who will also be doing her first IM in Louisville with me, to get some laps in with her and a few of our friends after work. So... after tonight's Orange Theory workout, followed up by another possible rest day tomorrow (unless the bike, once again, calls my name), I'll be free-stroking it Friday, followed by another outdoor run with the Norton's group Saturday morning, followed by yet another OTF workout that morning. I believe I've earned a bit of a lazy Sunday this coming weekend. Ah..... the sweet feel of the couch under my bum and some Netflix.

Base Building

First long run of the season yesterday - 8 miles. Planned on only 3-4, and when I arrived at the Norton training location my "coach" planned on 7. By the time it was all said and done we got roped into 8 miles total, which was fine by me. It was a crisp, sunny morning and some snow had fallen the night before. There were some icy patches along the way, but the route made up for it with mostly flat terrain and good company. I had 3 Ironman veterans running with me, who have a collective total of at least 8 IM races under their belt, so I took the opportunity to bend their ear about training and racing for the "beast." The 8 miles didn't feel like that distance since there was either talking or listening the entire route, and my running mates kept me going when I wanted to slow down. I averaged a 10:24 pace, which is great for me considering this is normally my race-pace. Jeff (aka Coach) told me later on at the Landshark Social that this just proves that my race pace is faster than I think, and I need to be running it that way. I can see I'm gonna get no slack with this guy - and that's okay. Did an easy 30 minute spin on the bike this morning, where I set up my Garmin 920xt so I know exactly how fast and how many miles I'm doing. I'm a bit of a numbers nerd so I like knowing this information. Plus, with the cadence sensor, I can see that I'm averaging 64 rpm, which is where I'm supposed to be - giving me a little bit of hope that I'm doing things right. Anyway, a little sore this morning from yesterday's run, but I guess I better get used to that. Carlos, one of my running mates yesterday, told me that during training, even if I am so tired that I can't manage the planned training day, to at least get out and do a 1-2 hour walk. I'm thinking that's a good idea. I already feel better after doing that bike ride than I would if I just meandered around the house all day with sore legs and abs from yesterday's run. Today I'll be looking into the training plan once again, and seeing where the plan falls if I just start the full IM training on time, and incorporate Muncie into that, instead of doing BOTH plans and beginning full IM training 6 weeks in. Hopefully it will be enough, coupled with my current base-building training, to get me to Muncie's finish line.

New Year, New Training Plan

I've consistently been working out 4-5 days a week now for the past month or so, and I believe my body is getting used to additional workouts while tired. I've been on the bike trainer probably 5+ times this month, and actually set up the tri bike to get a feel for it, as well as the aero bars which I have never used before. The bike itself is fairly comfy, and the aero position definitely puts less pressure on the biggest part of my butt-bone, but I can't say that it's gonna be exactly "fun" cruising on that thing for 6-8 hours come October. My Orange Theory workouts continue, and I really feel like they've impacted my endurance and strength in a positive way. I typically do no more than 3 miles during any one workout with them, but today I was able to do an 8 miler with only a few walk breaks for water and up the last hill. I felt mostly good throughout, and having the company of veteran Ironmen (and women) helped since I was able to bend their ear about training tips, the race itself, etc. One thing that I believe I may have to change my mind about is the start of my training. The Muncie half IM is on July 10th, which places my first week of the 20-week training program on February 23rd. I'm being told this is way too early to train, especially since IMLOU isn't until October, and that I'm gonna be burnt out if I start that soon. One of my tri friends, Jeff (a 5x IM finisher) tells me that if I start at the beginning of May and increase my bike rides by 5 miles every weekend leading up to Muncie, then I should be fine (if that first ride starts at 30 miles). It definitely makes sense, and I know that I can do the half-marathon that follows because I've done approximately 24 already. Again, it's the bike that always concerns me. I've not been in the pool for nearly a month. At first it was because I had a terrible cold that lasted 1-2 weeks, and then it was the thought of stripping down and jumping into the water while the outside temp was 30 degree (yes, yes, the pool is INSIDE, but still. I'm a winter-wimp and I don't enjoy being cold at all). Mostly though, and this isn't an excuse, I really want to work with a coach for a few sessions on my swimming before I dive back in (pun intended) to ensure that I'm using the proper technique swimming at my best efficiency. Since the training isn't starting until late-February however, I don't see the sense of starting with the swim coach until the week prior to, or maybe even of, that first training week. And I can honestly say this is not procrastination talking - but more so I feel that it makes good sense to not be logging a bunch of "junk meters" in the pool if I'm not swimming correctly or efficiently. That's that. So, in summary, I'm still on the fence about when to start training. Perhaps I'll check the scheduled and incorporate the workouts on the schedule into my already-established workouts - just not stick to it verbatim or do daily or twice-a-day workouts that it sometimes calls for. Again, I want to make sure I am prepared for the "Big Dance," but I don't want to burn myself out either, and hate life come June.