Tuesday + Wednesday

Still not feeling well. I haven't managed to do much. I tried running this morning. Everything hurt. Had no energy. I ran 3 miles out, which was a struggle, but had no energy to run back. I landed up walking 3 miles back which took a good 50 minutes. I tried swimming. 1250yds. Felt like crap. I was now going to try and get on the bike, but I think I need more time to rest so I can get back to 100%.

Monday: Day Off

I'm absolutely exhausted. Going to try and have an early night.

Sunday: 15 mile run

70 minute run. Ran the first 4 miles relatively easy, and then the remaining miles pretty hard. 8.66 miles. 8:05min/mi. 154bpm.

p.m. 60 min easy run on the treadmill. First time I have run on the treadmill in a while. Ran at 6.7mph and then walked for 1 minute after every 9 minutes. I could definitely feel my quads throughout the run from this morning's hard effort, but I otherwise felt good.

While my biking has been terrible, I managed to run 50 miles for the week.

Saturday: 11 mile run; 35 mile bike

I am definitely in a funk and am not sure what is going on. My training has been completely off, but it's not from laziness or a lack of motivation. I am hopping on the bike everyday but feel awful and then hop off. I have absolutely NO power. I tried to do an easy 56 mile ride at 200 watts, something two weeks ago, would have been a recovery ride and something I could have whipped off in my sleep. For today's ride, I averaged about 207 watts for the first hour, and then I literally had no power left. For the remainder of the ride, I could barely sustain 170 watts and could not pedal more than 70-75 revolutions per minute. I cut the ride short.

I haven't been drinking any Gatorade this week and am hoping that is the reason for the lack of energy and power. I'll try to give myself another easy day tomorrow and then hopefully get back into longer rides on Monday. While there is still plenty of time until the Ironman, I was hoping to have begun my Tempo riding for this four week training bloc. So I am now off a week. Not the end of the world and it is what it is, but upsetting nonetheless.

In the a.m., I ran 8.23 miles in 70 minutes. 8:35min/mi. I was hoping to run another 60 minutes at night, but fell asleep in the afternoon and then ran out of time before I had to go to a dinner party. I managed another easy 3 miles at 8:59 min/mi.

Friday: Day Off

I haven't been feeling myself the last couple of weeks. Tired and worn down. I am going to try and rest tonight and then pick it up again tomorrow.

Thursday: 15 mile run

70 min run in the a.m. 8.5 miles; 8:20 min/mi; 151bpm. First 4 miles were relatively easy. I then picked up the pace averaging 159-164bpm for the last 4 miles.

p.m. 60 minute easy run. 6.71 miles. 8:57 min/mi. 145bpm.

Wednesday: 5 mile run; 24 mile bike; 1250 yard swim

Training has not been very good. I need to pick it up.

Ran to work this morning and felt pretty good. However, a good portion of the way to work is downhill, and I could definitely feel my knees take a pounding. 5 miles. 8:23min/mi; 149bpm.

Swam at lunch. 1250 scy. 50 lengths. 10 easy; 10 hard; 10 easy; 10 hard; 10 easy. No rest.

Quick bike after work. 24 miles. 194 watts. I had no power and felt like I had no energy. I haven't biked in three days, the longest I have gone without biking in 6 months. So I am sure that is the cause. Hopefully, I will feel better tomorrow.

Tuesday: 3 mile run

3.67 mile run during lunch around the Mall. My iShuffle didn't work so this was the first time I have run in training without listening to music in about two years. I noticed that in the last Ironman, I had a tough time mentally especially when I was hurting because I couldn't zone out to music. I think as get closer to the race this year, I'll start training without the music to get used to what it will be like during the race. But until then, I'll stick to the music. 8:46min/mi. 145bpm.

I could have run home from work, which I am going to start doing more often now that the weather is better and that I'm running outside again, but was mentally weak today. Didn't have time to do anything else.

Monday: Day Off

Drove back from New Jersey. Too tired to train.

Sunday: 15 mile run; abs

15.25 mile run in New Jersey starting out with Gigs. Legs felt good throughout. However, I got very thirsty about 8 miles in and didn't have anything to eat or drink. I started to feel a little better two miles later, but was dehydrated for the rest of the run. Next time I won't forget to take some money with me so I can stop off to buy something if I need it. 8:37min/mi; 148bpm.

Saturday: 56 mile bike; abs

Recovery ride. 56 miles. FL: 2:46:55; 191w; 123bpm; 78rpm; 20.1 mph.

Friday: 11 mile run

a.m. 4.22 mile run. Felt easy. 8:50min/mi; 147bpm.

p.m. 7.08 mile run. 8:53min/mi. Didn't feel as easy as this morning's run, but still felt ok. 148bpm.

Thursday: 56 mile bike; 1250 yard swim; abs

1250 scy swim at lunch. 30 lengths easy. 10 lengths hard. 10 lengths easy.

p.m. 56 mile bike. Legs didn't feel as good today. Rode relative easy, but still struggled towards the end of the ride. The purpose of the rest of the week is to recover for the next important 4 week tempo training block starting next Monday. FL: 2:41:23; 208w; ###bpm; 80rpm; 20.8mph. No heart rate data.

Wednesday: 56 mile bike; 1250 yard swim; abs

Swim at lunch. 50 lengths easy. No rest.

Bike 56 miles. Felt fantastic again. I really cannot believe how great I am feeling on the bike or the power I am putting out, especially at the low heart rates. It's a weird feeling because I am on the trainer, so I don't feel like I am going any faster than I used to ride. And even when I look up at the watts, it doesn't feel any different than putting out fewer watts yet averaging the same heart rate. So on many levels, it seems almost unbelievable the power that I am pushing. Today's ride was easy, staying in zone 1 and low zone 2 throughout. I didn't have any Gatorade, so I ate a Powerbar and drank about 2-2.5L of water during the ride. I averaged 140bpm.

Tuesday: 8 mile run; 1250 yard swim

Swim at lunch: 1250 scy; 30 lengths easy; 10 lengths hard; 10 lengths easy. No rest.

70 minute run after work. 8.59 miles. 8:12min/mi. 151bpm. I ran the first 5 miles relatively easy capping my heart rate at 151bpm. Then upped the pace for the remaining 3.5 miles, capping my heart rate at 159bpm. Despite my various running injuries over the last few months, I am probably in the best Ironman running shape I have ever been in, meaning that my pace relative to heart rate is the best it has ever been, though I have trained at faster paces (and higher heart rates) when training for standalone marathons.

Monday: 24 mile bike; 1250 yard swim

Swim 1250 yds: 50 lengths. Took 10 lengths to warm up and then felt ok, though very slow.

Bike 24 miles: Recovery ride. 180w; 118bpm.

Sunday: 8 mile run; 56 mile bike

a.m. 70 minute run; 8.42 miles; 8:21min/mi; 151bpm. This was the first time I have really run in the last four weeks without worrying about my achilles. I ran the first 5 miles relatively easy capping my heart rate at 151bpm. I then ran the last 3 miles at Ironman race pace, keeping my heart rate around 159bpm.

p.m. As Lance Armstrong I think said after a stage win in one of his later Tour de France victories, "this was one of the best days I have ever had on a bicycle." I rode the first 20 minutes easy and then gradually picked up the pace close to Ironman race pace; the difference being that I never went above my Heart Rate Cap of 159bpm. My average heart rate for the ride was 150bpm, which will be higher in the Ironman. I felt great throughout. I posted a couple SRM graphs of the ride below:

Friday: 56 mile bike; 1250 yd swim

1250yd swim. Short swim. 30 lenghts easy; 10 lengths harder; 10 lengths easy; no rest in between. I am slow but these last couple of swims have felt pretty good.

Bike 56 miles. FL: 2:40:12; 212w; 140bpm; 81rpm; 21.0mph.

Wednesday + Thursday

Wednesday. 4.02 mile run; 8:58 min/mi. Felt good.

Thursday. a.m. 1250yd swim. First swim in a very long time. Felt very good surprisingly, though I didn't swim that long. I am going to try and incorporate these shorter swims as often as possible now that the FL 70.3 is coming up to make sure I can complete the distance.

Thursday. p.m. Run 3.66 mile run; 8:33min/mi. Biking has a taking a big hit. I'll pick it up tomorrow and load up the weekend.

Tuesday: 4 mile run; 24 mile bike

a.m. 4 mile run this morning. 8:58min/mi. Finally did not feel any discomfort in my achilles.

p.m. 24 mile bike. 195watts. Legs felt dead. This seems to happen every time I take a day off on the bike.

Monday: 3 mile run

a.m. 3.01 mile run. Achilles felt good until the last 5 minutes. It didn't hurt, but I could feel it. 8:58min/mi.

Sunday: 56 mile bike

I felt like I needed another easy day given my recent high heart rate relative to power averages and the festivities during my birthday weekend. Only 56 miles today and a low volume week. My fitness however still seems to be improving. FL: 2:42:38; 203w; 124bpm; 81rpm; 20.7mph. And my achilles finally feels better. So I hope to get in some decent running volume this week.

Saturday: 56 mile bike

After a long night and little sleep, I had very little motivation to train today. So I was just trying to get the work done. FL: 2:43:21; 201w; 133bpm; 80rpm; 20.6mph

Friday: 20 mile bike

20 mile recovery ride. 186w

Thursday: 4 mile run; 56 mile bike

4.46 mile easy run; 8:58 min/mi pace. Can still feel my achilles a little, but seems better than before.

56 mile bike. Felt terrific and then hit a brick wall at the 2:10 mark. I didn't take in enough calories. FL: 2:35:23; 228w; 148bpm; 81rpm; 21.6mph

Tuesday + Wednesday: 3 mile run; 56 mile bike

I'm behind on the blogging and the training.

Tuesday: Run 3.29 miles in 30 minutes. Didn't have time to do anything else, but otherwise felt ok.

Wednesday: Bike 56 miles. Heart rate was sky high from the get go and only settled down after about an hour and 20 minutes. When initially biking at 200watts, my heart rate was 150bpm. Normally, it would be 125-135 at that power. I felt dehydrated before I had even started, but then chugged some water and Gatorade during the ride and felt better. Legs though felt great throughout. Total ride: FL: 2:36:27; 224w; 150bpm; 81rpm; 21.5mph.